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Jharkhand elephant killed 9 people in five districts, faces threat to life
Jharkhand’s principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Rajiv Ranjan said, the elephant was currently in a good habitat in Dumka.
An elephant separated from its herd in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad forest division has allegedly killed nine people while moving across five districts since early April, said forest officials, before adding that most of the deaths were triggered by human misadventures such as chasing or pelting the animal with stones or while taking selfies with the elephant.
The tusker is currently at Dumka district’s Kathikund forest where its life is in grave danger from fearful villagers, who attacked it on Tuesday with stones in an attempt to drive it away from the forest.
Concerned over the situation, a wildlife lover Alok Sharma tagged a tweet to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, requesting him to save the elephant from the villagers. Soren then directed the Dumka deputy commissioner to ensure that the elephant was released into a safe forest area.
Jharkhand’s principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Rajiv Ranjan said, the elephant was currently in a good habitat in Dumka. “There is sufficient food and water in the forest. We hope that the elephant would cause no more damage,” Ranjan said.
The forest department said it had been tracking the jumbo since the beginning of its journey from Dhanbad.
“The animal has been on its migratory route. Most of the casualties that took place on its journey were due to human error. People are gathering in large numbers on its way, chasing it, taking selfies and pelting stones, which made the animal aggressive,” said a forest official, who didn’t wish to be named.
He said forest department officials have been continuously appealing to people not to disturb the tusker’s movement.
As per a forest department report, the elephant first killed one Ajmerun Bibi, 25, on April 8 in Dhanbad district, followed by Furkan Ansari on April 13 in Jamtara district. On May 21, it killed one Mela Soren followed by Nachon Murmu on May 23 in Dumka district. Then, it moved to Pakur district where it killed Kalu Pahariya on April 24 and Baburam Malto on May 2. Thereafter, it moved to Sahibganj district where it killed three people- Kabil Seikh on May 3, Som Murmu and Ishmatur Rahman on May 6. The elephant was again spotted in Pakur district on May 8 but caused no deaths before moving back to Dumka district.
Divisional forest officer (DFO), Dumka, Sourav Chandra said villagers have been requested through loudspeakers not to go near the elephant or harass it. “Old people, women and children have been asked to remain at home, while young people have been asked to be alert,” Chandra said. “We are also asking people not to pelt stones on the animal,” he added.
He said the elephant was currently happy in Kathikund forest due to availability of adequate food and water inside the forest.
In 2017, a rogue elephant from Bihar killed 15 people including four in Bihar and 11 in Jharkhand. After the forest department failed to capture it, an order was issued to eliminate it, which was carried out by hunter Nawab Shafath Ali Khan on August 8 that year.
