At least 20 people have been killed by a wild elephant in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand over a span of nine days, with the animal still at large, officials report. The deaths took place between January 1 and 9, in the Chaibasa and Kolhan forest regions of West Singhbhum district, an area known for its vast Sal forests, one of the largest in Asia.
Human-elephant conflict has plagued the region for years, with experts citing shrinking forest cover, fragmented habitats, and growing human activity near elephant corridors as key contributing factors.
A large-scale search operation is underway, involving more than 100 forest personnel, in an attempt to capture the rogue elephant. Kuldeep Meena, a divisional forest officer, described the situation as “unprecedented,” noting that this is the first time such a pattern of fatalities has been linked to a single male elephant in the area. The entire region has been put on high alert to prevent further loss of life and property.
The priority for authorities is to locate, capture, and safely return the elephant to the wild. District magistrate Chandan Kumar confirmed that a forest worker is among the victims and announced monetary compensation for the affected families.
Most of the deaths occurred at night, when villagers were guarding their paddy crops, a common practice in rural India. One of the victims, 34-year-old Mangal Singh Hembram, was attacked near his home in Bodijari village while returning from work. In another instance, 62-year-old Urdub Bahoda was killed while watching over his field in Birsingh Hatu village. Later that night, 42-year-old Vishnu Sundi from a neighboring village was trampled to death while sleeping outside.
On January 5, an even more tragic incident occurred when Kundra Bahoda and his two children, six-year-old Kodama and eight-year-old Samu, were killed by the elephant. Kundra’s wife, Pundi, narrowly escaped with her injured two-year-old daughter and learned of the deaths later.
Forest officials say the elephant is young and agile, frequently moving locations, especially at night, which makes it hard to track. They have been using traditional drum alerts to warn villagers and advising them to stay indoors at night.
Preliminary assessments suggest the elephant might be in its mating phase, which is known to heighten aggression in male elephants due to increased testosterone levels. This behavior is expected to subside within 15 to 20 days. Authorities also suspect the elephant may have strayed from its herd, making it crucial to find and allow it to reunite with other elephants in the forest.
