Chittoor district, home to the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary, now hosts over 140 wild elephants as of 2025, up by about 20 from last year. Half of these elephants roam freely across neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu forests. This migration causes human-elephant conflicts in many villages across Kuppam, Palamaner, Chittoor, Puthalapattu, and Gangadhara Nellore areas, as well as some parts of Annamayya and Tirupati districts. The conflicts have grown serious. In 2024-25, nine people died, and six were injured in elephant attacks. Most victims were farmers or cattle rearers attacked during the harvest season when elephants raid crops like mangoes, tomatoes, paddy, and vegetables. Crop damage affected over 1,500 acres, hitting farmers hard economically. To ease the strain, the Forest Department increased compensation to ₹10 lakh for families of those killed by wild animals. Crop damage claims are now settled faster thanks to joint efforts by Forest and Revenue officials. Krishnappa Mani, a 62-year-old mango farmer from Mandipeta Kotur village, praised the prompt compensation process. A big step to manage conflict arrived with the setting up of a kumki elephant camp in Musallamadugu village near Palamaner. Four trained kumkis from Karnataka arrived in May 2025, reducing the need to move elephants long distances to conflict zones. Deputy Chief Minister and Forest Minister K. Pawan Kalyan inaugurated the camp in November 2025. Officials now use technology such as solar-powered sensors and camera traps to track elephant movements at the tri-State border and warn residents early. Night patrols and more watchtowers have also increased safety. Community awareness programmes are underway. In a positive sign, elephant deaths dropped sharply. From over 20 deaths in the past five years, mainly by electrocution, only two elephants died in 2025. The new measures show promise in balancing wildlife conservation with human safety in Chittoor.