Human-elephant conflict spikes in Jharkhand, 22 people dead in 21 days | Ranchi News
Ranchi/Jamshedpur: Jharkhand has witnessed a sharp escalation in human-elephant conflict since December 16, 2025, with at least 22 people killed in just about 21 days in Ramgarh and West Singhbhum districts.In Ramgarh, a lone elephant turned violent after being attacked with bows and arrows by villagers. In contrast, a sub-adult male elephant in musth—a heightened, sexually charged state—has continued a deadly rampage in West Singhbhum, killing 16 people since January 1.Divisional forest officer (DFO) Aditya Narayan said, “The elephant appears to have turned rogue, and our focus now is to tranquilise it at the earliest. We are certain it is in musth, which explains its heightened aggression. We are trying our best to control the situation.”He added that specialised teams from Bankura in West Bengal and Odisha have been deployed alongside state forest personnel. “We have also requisitioned additional teams from the Vantara Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (VRRC) and Wildlife SOS,” Narayan said.On the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, seven people—including five members of a family—were killed in their sleep after the elephant bulldozed their hutments. The forest department has deployed over 80 personnel, including quick response teams (QRTs), to control and divert the elephant to a safer location. However, officials said operations are being severely hampered by safety concerns due to the presence of underground Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in several parts of West Singhbhum.A recent study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has flagged an ominous rise in human-elephant conflict in Jharkhand, attributing it to multiple factors. Since the formation of the state, over 1,300 people have reportedly been killed in elephant-related incidents, the study noted.Regarding Tuesday night’s attack in the Noamundi block under the Chaibasa forest division, officials said the first incident occurred in Babaria village. “People were sleeping in a straw-thatched house when the elephant trampled five members of a family. A minor child managed to escape,” said ranger officer Jitendra Singh. He added that two more people were killed about two kilometres away from the spot.Smita Pankaj, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF), Kolhan division, said the pattern of attacks has remained consistent. “The elephant turns violent after dark, attacking houses and villagers,” she said. “It moves extremely fast and keeps changing locations, repeatedly giving our teams the slip. During the day, it almost becomes invisible, hiding deep inside the forests.”Explaining the Ramgarh incidents, an official said the elephant there reacted violently after being attacked. “It ran amok for three days, killing six people. Most victims either came directly in its path or were trying to take pictures,” the officer said. “The pattern in West Singhbhum, however, is different—the elephant is attacking only at night.”DFO Narayan added that despite repeated public announcements warning villagers about the elephant’s movement, many continue to sleep in makeshift hutments made of paddy husk near their fields or homes. “Almost all deaths followed a similar pattern. However, sleeping in such hutments during winter is a long-standing practice here after paddy harvesting, as they provide warmth,” he said. The tusker was last located around 5 am on Wednesday near Katepara forest village under Jagannathpur police station limits in the Chaibasa forest division. Officials also deployed drones to track the elephant, but with limited success. “Due to heavy fog and dense forest cover, drones could not trace it throughout the day,” the DFO said. The presence of Maoist-laid IEDs in forest areas has further complicated tracking operations, sources said.
