20 killed in wild elephant attacks in 9 days in Jharkhand, hunt underway

At least 20 people have been killed in a series of attacks by a wild elephant in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand over the past nine days, with forest officials saying the animal has yet to be captured.

According to a BBC report, the fatalities occurred between 1 and 9 January in the Chaibasa and Kolhan forest ranges of West Singhbhum district, part of one of Asia's largest Sal forest belts, prompting authorities to launch an extensive search operation.

Forest officials said more than 100 personnel have been deployed to trace the elephant, which has been linked to all the deaths, an unusual pattern for the region.

"This is an unprecedented situation. It's the first time such a pattern of fatalities has been linked to a single male elephant in the region," said Divisional Forest Officer Kuldeep Meena, adding that the entire area has been placed on high alert to prevent further casualties and property damage.

He said the immediate focus was to locate, tranquilise and safely return the animal to the forest.

District Magistrate Chandan Kumar told the BBC that one of the victims was a forest worker, and said authorities had announced financial compensation for the families of those killed.

Officials noted that most of the attacks took place at night, when villagers were guarding paddy stored in fields or barns - a common rural practice in the area.

Among the victims was 34-year-old Mangal Singh Hembram, who was attacked near his home in Bodijari village while returning from work, officials said.

In Birsingh Hatu village, 62-year-old Urdub Bahoda was killed while guarding his field, according to family members. Later the same night, Vishnu Sundi, 42, from a neighbouring village, was trampled to death while sleeping outside his house, his son said.

Another deadly incident occurred on 5 January, when Kundra Bahoda and his two children, six-year-old Kodama and eight-year-old Samu, were killed. Kundra's wife, Pundi, said she managed to escape with her injured two-year-old daughter and learned only later that her husband and two older children had died.

Forest officials said the elephant is young, agile and frequently changes its location, especially at night, making tracking efforts difficult. Teams have been using traditional drum-beating alerts to warn villagers and advise residents not to sleep outdoors or move around at night.

Meena said a preliminary assessment suggested the animal may be in its mating phase, when male elephants experience heightened aggression due to increased testosterone levels. Officials said such behaviour typically subsides within 15 to 20 days.

They also believe the elephant may have become separated from its herd, stressing the urgency of locating it and enabling it to rejoin other elephants in the forest.