Elephant Herd Rampage Claims Six Lives in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh; Toll Rises to 11 in 10 Days
A tragic incident unfolded in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district past midnight on Thursday when a herd of wild elephants entered Gondwar village in the Churchu block, resulting in the deaths of six people.
Officials confirmed that the incident occurred near the Ramgarh–Hazaribagh divisional border under the jurisdiction of Ango police station.
According to Divisional Forest Officer (Eastern Division) Vikas Kumar Ujjwal, the herd comprised five elephants that had earlier been sighted in Bokaro district.
The animals subsequently moved toward Ramgarh before crossing into the border village between 12 am and 1 am. Authorities suspect this to be the same herd linked to recent fatal encounters in neighbouring districts.
Preliminary inputs from the Forest Department, supported by eyewitness accounts, indicate that the elephants entered the village and targeted a house where paddy had been stored.
The presence of food grains is believed to have drawn the herd into the residential area.
As villagers stepped out of their homes in response to the commotion, they came into proximity with the elephants, leading to the deadly confrontation.
The deceased have been identified as Suman Kumari (26), Dhaneshwar Ram (52), Suraj Ram (50), Savita Devi (25), Anurag Ram (1), and Sanjana Kumari (3).
The loss of two toddlers among the victims has deepened the sense of grief in the community.
With these latest fatalities, the death toll attributed to the same herd has climbed to 11 within a span of ten days across Bokaro and Hazaribagh districts.
On February 5, three elderly members of a family were reportedly trampled in Barkipunu village in Bokaro.
Two days later, on February 7, two more individuals from another family lost their lives in Gangpur village, also in Bokaro, after the herd moved through the area.
Forest officials stated that teams have been deployed on the ground and are actively monitoring the elephants’ movements.
Public announcements through loudspeakers are being made in affected villages, urging residents to remain indoors at night and avoid venturing out while efforts continue to steer the herd back toward forested zones.
A specialised team from Bankura is currently stationed in Ramgarh to assist in tracking and managing the situation.
The department has also indicated that assistance from Vantara, whose team is presently in Jamshedpur, may be sought if circumstances demand.
However, any decision regarding tranquilisation or relocation of the elephants will only be taken after a thorough assessment of the herd’s condition and behavioural patterns, and in consultation with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife).
On the question of what may have triggered the herd’s apparent aggression, the Divisional Forest Officer said it was premature to reach definitive conclusions.
He noted that the elephants could be in musth — a biological phase that can last one to two months and is often associated with heightened aggression, though this remains unconfirmed.
A dedicated monitoring unit is being constituted, and a separate inquiry team will examine the factors that may have contributed to the incident.
In coordination with the district administration, the Forest Department is considering the imposition of temporary prohibitory measures in vulnerable areas to reduce the risk to human life while the herd remains nearby.
Officials have appealed to residents not to approach, provoke, or attempt to chase the elephants under any circumstances.
Authorities confirmed that immediate financial assistance has been provided to the bereaved families to facilitate last rites, and the formal process of compensation as per government norms has been initiated.
The tragedy once again underscores the growing challenge of human-elephant conflict in forest-fringe regions, where habitat pressures and food scarcity often bring wildlife into close contact with human settlements.
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