14.01.2026 23:21
A large-scale search operation has been launched for a one-tusked elephant that caused the death of 22 people after straying from its herd and attacking villages in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. Authorities have put the region on high alert, urging the public to stay away from forested areas and avoid going out at night.
A large-scale search operation has been launched for a single-tusked elephant that has caused the death of 22 people by attacking villages after separating from its herd in the Jharkhand state in eastern India. Authorities have put the region on high alert, urging the public to stay away from forested areas and not to go out at night.
ATTACKS OCCURRED AT NIGHT
According to a report by The Guardian, the elephant seen in the West Singhbhum region of Jharkhand since the beginning of January has been noted for entering small villages and carrying out attacks, especially at night. It was reported that the first attack occurred on January 1 in Bandijhari village, resulting in the death of a 35-year-old man. In subsequent attacks, a total of 22 people lost their lives, including a couple and their two small children, as well as a forest department official.
"EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE"
Aditya Narayan, the Forest Director of the Chaibasa region, stated that they believe the young male elephant has exhibited "extremely aggressive" behavior after separating from its herd. Narayan noted that there have been three separate attempts to tranquilize the animal so far, but these have been unsuccessful.
STRONG WARNING TO VILLAGERS
Narayan indicated that teams are on alert and that efforts to tranquilize the elephant will be resumed, stating, "Villagers have been given strong warnings not to enter forested areas and to be extremely cautious."
COVERS 30 KILOMETERS A DAY
Authorities expressed that the elephant travels approximately 30 kilometers a day, making it quite difficult to locate it. More than 100 forest personnel have been deployed in the field to find the animal, but the efforts have not yet yielded results.
EXPERT SUPPORT FROM THREE STATES
Wildlife experts from three different states have also been dispatched to the region to track the elephant. However, the elephant's erratic behavior and irregular movements in forested areas are complicating the search efforts.
Experts pointed out that the incident occurs during a time when human-elephant conflicts are on the rise in India due to increasing deforestation, dwindling food and water resources, and the encroachment of traditional migration routes of elephants by settlements.
2,800 PEOPLE DIED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS
It was noted that approximately 10% of the old routes considered safe for elephant migration are now unusable, which has led the animals to head towards settlements.
Elephants also die in large numbers due to reasons such as electrocution, train accidents, and retaliatory poisonings. In the last five years, more than 2,800 people in India have lost their lives as a result of fatal encounters with elephants.
AI-POWERED MEASURES IN PLACE
In some states like Andhra Pradesh, AI-powered early warning systems have been implemented to detect the approach of elephants to villages at an early stage and to protect the public.