At least 20 people have been killed by a wild elephant in nine days, officials in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand said, adding that the animal had not yet been captured.
The deaths occurred between January 1 and 9 in the Chaibasa and Kolhan forest areas of West Singhbhum district, which are part of one of the largest sal forests in Asia.
Human-elephant conflicts have been reported in the region for years, with officials and researchers linking them to shrinking forest cover, habitat fragmentation and increased human activity near elephant corridors.
Officials said a massive search operation involving more than 100 forest personnel is underway to find the whereabouts of the elephant.
“This is an unprecedented situation. This is the first death related to a male elephant in the district,” said Divisional Forest Officer Kuldeep Meena, adding that the entire district has been placed on high alert to prevent further loss of life and property.
He said their top priority was to track, capture and safely return the animals to the wild.
District Magistrate Chandan Kumar told the BBC that a forest worker was among the 20 dead. The authorities have announced monetary compensation to their families.
Local officials say the elephant has not yet been captured [Mohammad Sartaj Alam/BBC]
Most of the deaths occurred at night when residents were tending rice stored in fields and barns – a common occurrence in rural India.
Officials said one of the victims, 34-year-old Mangal Singh Hembram, was attacked near his home in Bodijari village as he was returning home from get off work.
Urdub Bahoda, 62, was killed while guarding his fields in Birsingh Hatu village, according to his family. Later that night, Vishnu Sundi, 42, from a neighboring village, was trampled to death while sleeping outside his home, his son said.
In another incident on January 5, Kundra Bahoda and his two children – six-year-old Kodama and eight-year-old Samu – were killed by elephants. Kundera’s wife, Pondy, said she escaped with her injured two-year-old daughter and later discovered that her husband and two eldest children were dead.
Forest officials said the elephant was young, agile and frequently changed its location, especially at night, making it difficult to track. Teams have been using traditional drum sirens to warn residents and advise people not to go out or sleep outside at night.
Meena said initial assessments suggest the elephants may be in the mating phase, when male elephants show increased aggression due to elevated testosterone levels. Officials say the behavior usually subsides within 15 to 20 days.
They also said the elephant may have broken away from the herd, stressing the need to find it and allow it to rejoin other elephants in the forest.
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