# Chittoor’s rising elephant population fuels conflict 2026-08-13T15:46:41+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district now hosts over 140 wild Asian elephants, both resident and migratory, after the species reappeared near Kuppam in the 1980s following a gap of more than two centuries. The Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary was created to protect them, but elephants now roam beyond its borders into farmland, orchards and highways, triggering deadly encounters. Over the past decade, more than 20 elephants have been electrocuted and a dozen humans killed, while crop losses pile up annually. Forest officials have deployed six Kumki elephants at the Palamaner camp to manage conflicts, most recently capturing a wild tusker that was repeatedly crossing the Chittoor-Bengaluru highway in July. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: Chittoor, elephants, human-elephant conflict, Koundinya sanctuary, Kumki elephants Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/chittoors-rising-elephant-population-fuels-conflict/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/chittoors-rising-elephant-population-fuels-conflict/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.