Latest news with #Kumki
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Farmer trampled to death by jumbos
Tirupati: A 55-year-old farmer, who was sleeping in his agricultural field, was trampled to death by a herd of tuskers near Nagavandlapalli village in Irala mandal of Chittoor district in the early hours of Wednesday. The victim was identified as Ganesh. Locals said he went to sleep at his agricultural farm on Tuesday night and was found dead the next morning following a trail of destruction left behind by the marauding tuskers. The perennial man-animal conflicts in several parts of Chittoor and Tirupati districts have left behind a trail of destruction and resulted in frequent deaths of farmers and locals in the last two years. In April, 65-year-old Siddaiah from Dasarigudem village in Chinnagottigallu mandal was killed in a similar manner. In December last year, a 60-year-old farmer, identified as Sankarappa, was killed in a tusker attack near Kuppanapalli village in Byreddypalli mandal. In October, 55-year-old Raja Reddy was trampled to death by a herd of 15 tuskers near Kothapalli in Pileru mandal. In June last year, a wild tusker killed 50-year-old Kanna Naik near Digiva Thanda in Ramakuppam mandal of Chittoor district. A month before, in May, another lone tusker was responsible for the death of 50-year-old G Chinnaiah near Thavanampalle in Chittoor district. The AP forest dept brought the famed Kumki elephants from Karnataka last month to check the marauding tuskers.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Tamil Nadu's beloved elephant Akhila turns 23, celebrated with traditional rituals
Akhila, the revered temple elephant of the Thiruvanaikoil Jambukeswarar Akilandeswari Temple in Trichy, celebrated her 23rd birthday on Saturday with traditional rituals and festive cheer, drawing large crowds of devotees. Born in 2002, Akhila was brought to the temple in 2011 during the tenure of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to assist in temple rituals and ceremonies. Since then, she has been an integral part of the temple's daily activities. To mark her birthday, the temple authorities organised a special celebration in the temple garden. Akhila was decorated and brought in ceremoniously. Priests performed special poojas for her, and the celebration was attended by mahouts, temple staff, priests, and a large number of devotees. Also Read | Why Karnataka handed over Kumki elephants to Andhra Pradesh? A step to curb rising human-elephant conflicts Devotees sang birthday wishes in unison and offered Akhila a feast consisting of fruits, vegetables, jaggery sweets, and traditional delicacies like kozhukattai. Additionally, earlier today, in a vibrant display of tradition and devotion, people from different adjoining villages gathered at the Kallandhiri village near Melur to celebrate the centuries-old fishing festival. According to the rituals, the fish caught by the villagers are offered to the deity for better harvest and health. The festival is celebrated every year with the onset of the summer season. Also Read | Grieving mother elephant refuses to budge, stands for hours by her calf killed by truck in Malaysia Meanwhile, as part of the annual festival of Sri Pidari Amman Temple in Thiruvarankulam near Pudukkottai, a spectacular Jallikattu event was organised on Friday, drawing massive crowds and enthusiastic participants. The event saw the participation of 750 bulls and 300 tamers from various districts across Tamil Nadu. The event, held with great fervor, showcased the bravery and skill of the participants as they attempted to hold on to the humps of the charging bulls. The spectators cheered loudly as the bulls, adorned with colourful decorations, displayed their strength and agility. Jallikattu, a symbol of Tamil heritage, continues to be a major attraction during the Pongal season and temple festivals. Elephants lovingly shield caretaker from rain in viral video: 'Don't worry, everything will be okay' The bull-taming event is an ancient sport played as part of the harvest festival, Pongal, in several parts of Tamil Nadu. It is a traditional event in which a bull is released into a crowd of people, and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's back to tame it. In January this year, the world-renowned three-day Jallikattu event in Tamil Nadu's Madurai kicked off with Avaniyapuram village holding its first-day event, which features 1,100 bulls and 900 bull-tamers. The best bull was awarded a tractor worth ₹11 lakhs, while the best bull-tamer received a car worth ₹8 lakhs, alongside other prizes. The other two Jallikattu events in Madurai were held at Palamedu and Alanganallur.
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Kumkis reach new home in Palamaner forest, doctors conduct medical tests
TIRUPATI: Chittoor forest officials are focusing on the health of four Kumki elephants brought from Karnataka to help manage wild elephant movement in vulnerable areas. The elephants arrived at the Palamaner forest camp on Wednesday night. On Thursday, a team of veterinary doctors conducted preliminary health checks and collected blood samples for further testing, District Forest Officer S Bharani told TNIE. To help the elephants adjust to local weather, officials have provided multiple water sources, including floating ponds, and solar-powered water systems. The Karnataka mahouts who accompanied the elephants are staying with them to ease their transition. Local mahouts will gradually be integrated over the next month. 'We're ensuring a nutrient-rich diet and a safe, comfortable environment,' Bharani said, adding that the Kumkis are expected to play a key role in preventing human-elephant conflicts in Chittoor district.
Hans India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Kumki elephants to tame rogue elephants
Gannavaram Airport (Krishna district): Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan stated, 'The problem of rogue elephants and their herds in the State has existed for a long time. This sensitive issue between humans and elephants has led to the destruction of hundreds of acres of crops and the loss of dozens of human lives. I believe that with the Kumki elephants provided by the Karnataka government, which responded with a humanitarian approach, the problem in villages adjacent to forests will largely be resolved.' He mentioned that the Karnataka government has currently provided four elephants, and the remaining elephants will arrive in two to three weeks. The Kumki elephants will be transported to a special training center in Kuppam for appropriate training and their assistance will be sought when needed. Pawan Kalyan spoke to the national media at Vijayawada Airport on Wednesday night. The Karnataka government has responded very positively. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre took the initiative to provide Kumki elephants to solve the problem. Regarding liquor scam, Pawan Kalyan said that the authorised investigation agency is currently investigating the liquor scam that occurred during the previous government's tenure. Officials are conducting the investigation appropriately, he added. He alleged that during the previous government's tenure, they claimed 'door-to-door ration distribution' and committed a scam worth Rs 1,600 crore. He said the vehicles never went to door-to-door. Everyone had to go to the vehicle that came to their street to collect rations. 'The then-government officials misused 9,260 vehicles as a 'green channel' for illegal ration rice transportation. Even now, the government is considering giving those vehicles back to the owners out of humanitarian consideration and providing them with a livelihood.' The State Cabinet has decided to cancel these MDU vehicles introduced by the previous government. We will proceed appropriately on this, the Deputy CM stated.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Will cooperate with ED in gold smuggling case, says Karnataka Minister Parameshwara
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday assured full cooperation with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its ongoing raids at the educational institutions linked to him, as part of a money laundering investigation related to an alleged gold smuggling racket. The ED is probing alleged financial irregularities and has searched 16 locations in the state under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeting hawala operators and accommodation entry operators who allegedly made 'fake' financial transactions into accounts linked to gold smuggling accused and Kannada actress Ranya Rao. Also Read - Why Karnataka handed over Kumki elephants to Andhra Pradesh? A step to curb rising human-elephant conflicts According to Parameshwara, ED officials visited three institutions and a university, including Siddhartha Institute of Technology and Siddhartha Medical College, seeking financial records from the past five years. He said he has instructed his staff to cooperate and provide all necessary information to the ED. "As a person who believes in the law of the land, I am prepared to cooperate with whatever comes out of their verifications or searches," he said. To a query on allegations that ₹40 lakh from his institution's account was used to pay Ranya Rao's credit card bill, Parameshwara declined to comment, saying he would respond after the investigation is complete. He also refrained from commenting on speculation that he was targeted due to his Dalit background, and said he would address it if necessary in the future. Rao was arrested on March 3 at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after arriving from Dubai. Also Read - Bengaluru Metro cancels extended services on May 23 as IPL match shifts to Lucknow due to expected rain Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials detained her and seized gold bars weighing 14.2 kg and valued at over ₹12.56 crore. Ranya and co-accused Tarun Kondaru Raju were granted bail on Tuesday by a special court for Economic Offences in Bengaluru in connection with the gold smuggling case. The court approved their default bail applications after the DRI failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated period. Ranya, however, will continue to remain behind bars.
