Thirsty Chittoor elephants stray to villages, Bengaluru highway as monsoon lags

Following a delay in the southwest monsoon, forest officials are closely watching increased elephant activity along the Koundinya wildlife sanctuary and the Rayala elephant corridor, where the herds keep closer to highways, villages and farms.

The Koundinya landscape, spread across the Kuppam and Palamaner divisions of Chittoor district and extending into parts of Tirupati and Annamayya districts through the Rayala elephant corridor, is under mild climatic stress from a prolonged dry spell. The region usually receives monsoon showers in the first week of June, though sporadic summer rains are common in May, helping forest water sources last until the rains set in fully. But rainfall this season has remained subdued.

Forest officials have confirmed frequent movement of elephants near human habitations in the Chittoor, Kuppam and Palamaner ranges in recent weeks. Elephant trackers attribute the greater visibility of the animals partly to shrinking water in seasonal streams and waterholes in the forest interiors.

A herd of 13 elephants, including a solitary tusker known to separate from the group and rejoin it, stayed in the area for several days after crossing over from neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The herd began retreating only on Tuesday (June 16, 2026) night, though officials say it could return at any time. In another instance, a lone elephant drew the attention of motorists on the Bengaluru National Highway at the Moghili ghat section near Bangarupalem for several hours on Tuesday.

Most wild elephants in the Koundinya sanctuary belt trace their movements to the Mordhana dam in Gudiyattam of Tamil Nadu, considered one of their principal habitats. The dam still holds adequate water, but large stretches of the Palar riverbed along the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border have turned dry, affecting elephant movement and pushing the animals towards water bodies near forest fringes and farmland.

Forest Range Officer (Chittoor) M. Pattabhi said there was no evidence of any acute food or water scarcity for elephants within the Koundinya sanctuary at present, despite the dry spell. “Elephants are mainly attracted to mango orchards, banana plantations, and paddy fields. We are continuously monitoring herd movements. Once the monsoon activity improves, the increased human-elephant encounters across the border areas will subside,” he said.