Chaibasa's Deadly Elephant Hunt Turns Tragic
On January 10 morning, we finally cornered the rogue elephant in Benisagar forest of West Singhbhum district. This animal had already claimed 19 lives in the region since the start of the month. Just the night before, it killed two more people in a hamlet within Majhgaon block.
Villagers Flee Their Homes in Fear
The elephant's terrifying presence forced locals to abandon their mud houses. They sought safety in the few concrete homes available in their village. Women and children slept inside the sturdy houses of village heads or wealthy farmers. Men spent nights on rooftops under the stars, often burying themselves in hay stacks to stay warm.
The Elusive Killer
We began tracking this elephant on January 6 when it entered Chaibasa forest range. That same night, it killed five people during a swift raid on one village. Local village heads, known as mundas, kept informing us about the tusker's movements. Yet every time our teams arrived, the elephant had already vanished.
While we managed 10-15 kilometers daily through hilly terrain searching for the animal, it traveled up to 30 kilometers each day. This particular elephant moved with exceptional speed, consistently outpacing our efforts.
A Region of Conflict
The Kolhan division contains Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary and Saranda forest, Asia's largest Sal forest. This area overlaps with Odisha and has served as movement corridors for elephant herds for centuries. Recent increases in human activities have transformed the region into a dangerous conflict zone between people and elephants.
A Distinctive and Aggressive Animal
Our killer elephant bore a distinguishing mark: only one tusk. Beyond this physical feature, it displayed unusual behavior toward humans. While most elephants flee from flaming torches or the sounds of crackers and tin cans, this one charges directly at such disturbances.
The Failed Capture Operation
In Benisagar forest within Majhgaon block, we approached the rogue elephant from three directions. We used cranes, excavators, and moved on foot. My team of about 20 foresters and guards worked alongside counterparts from Odisha, three quick response teams from the state forest department, experts from Vantara and Wildlife SOS, plus an animal rescue squad from West Bengal.
Our goal was simple: get close enough to fire a tranquilliser dart into the animal. This represented our first real opportunity to capture the elephant and end its week-long killing spree.
Crowd Interference Turns Deadly
Local villagers created serious problems for our operation. Hundreds of men and women from nearby settlements gathered to take photographs and make noise. Despite our repeated urgings to move to safety, they refused to leave. Then several individuals began throwing stones at the elephant.
The enraged animal charged directly at the crowd. People scattered for cover, but forest guard Sukhlal Behera found himself trapped between the charging elephant and the retreating villagers. As he tried to escape the tusker's path, Behera slipped and fell into a crater hidden by dense vegetation.
A Horrific Attack
Before Behera could recover, the elephant reached him. From just 50 meters away, I watched in horror as the tusker lifted Behera with its trunk and smashed him repeatedly against the ground. After several minutes, the elephant dropped the forest guard and retreated into dense Jashipur forest in neighboring Keonjhar district of Odisha.
Tragic Aftermath
We rushed Behera to a nearby primary health center where doctors found him in critical condition. They referred him to a government hospital in Keonjhar, but he died during transport. This brought the elephant's death toll to 20 people.
Continued Vigilance
Since fatally injuring Behera, the elephant has remained within Jashipur Forest. The West Bengal team departed with their fallen comrade the next day. Teams from Vantara and Wildlife SOS also left the area. Our team, however, continues operations.
The owner of a stone crusher unit provided us with dormitory accommodation that has served as our home for two weeks now. We maintain constant patrols both day and night, focusing on preventing the elephant from returning to Jharkhand territory.
The writer, Jitendra Prasad Singh, serves as forest range officer of Chaibasa range in West Singhbhum district, where this elephant has killed 20 people.
