With the steady increase in movement of wild elephants into Andhra Pradesh over the past few years, the State Forest Department has intensified preparations for the synchronised elephant population estimation exercise, scheduled to be held from May 27 to 30 across Chittoor, Tirupati, Annamayya, and Parvatipuram-Manyam districts.

As part of the preparations, a one-day training programme for frontline forest personnel was conducted at Gajaramam Kumki Elephant Camp in Palamaner on Monday. Around 85 staff members from Kuppam, Palamaner, Chittoor East, Chittoor West and Punganur forest ranges attended the camp, where they were trained in elephant identification, herd profiling, field tracking methods and photographic documentation techniques.

Speaking to The Hindu, wildlife biologist Rakesh Kalva, who is coordinating the synchronisation exercise for the Forest Department, said that Andhra Pradesh has increasingly emerged as a sensitive elephant movement zone because of regular migration of herds from neighbouring States such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.

“The movement of elephants across inter-State forest corridors has become highly dynamic in recent years. Sudden influx and outflux of herds are now being recorded frequently in Andhra Pradesh forests,” he explained.

District Forest Officer G. Subburaj said that around 82 wild elephants were recorded in Chittoor district alone as per the Forest Department estimates from the last synchronised census conducted in 2024. He said the annual estimation exercise was not conducted in 2025, making the present survey particularly important for updating field data and monitoring migratory patterns.

At present, a fresh herd of 15 elephants from Tamil Nadu has entered Kuppam forest range, while another 13-member herd has moved into Gudipala mandal in Chittoor district. Forest officials also confirmed that a herd of 15 elephants from Chittoor district recently crossed into central Talakona forest area in Tirupati district through Rayala Elephant Reserve Corridor.

Besides these groups, 14 elephants are currently spread across Tirupati and Annamayya districts, while another 14 elephants were reported from Parvathipuram Manyam district.

During the current estimation drive, forest teams will document elephant groups ranging from solitary bulls to large herds, besides identifying males, females, and calves. Officials will also record elephant deaths caused by natural reasons and electrocution incidents as part of the State’s long-term wildlife conservation and conflict management strategy.