Jharkhand Faces Escalating Human-Elephant Conflict: 5 Deaths in a Week; Two Elephant Corpses Found in West Singhbhum

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Ranchi, Jharkhand – 17 November 2025: The human-elephant conflict in Jharkhand is intensifying, with deadly consequences for villagers. In the past week alone, five people have died in elephant attacks, while two female elephants were found dead under suspicious circumstances in West Singhbhum district, raising concerns among authorities and locals.

Deadly Rampage in Bokaro
In the latest incident, a herd of 15 elephants entered Kharakanda village in the Jageshwar OP area of Bokaro late Sunday night around 11 PM, wreaking havoc for hours. During the attack, 45-year-old Sanjho Devi was trampled to death. The elephants also damaged 25–30 homes, destroyed parked vehicles including a car and a tempo, and consumed stored grains.

Villagers reported that many residents had to climb rooftops to save themselves. By the time the forest department team arrived, the herd had caused losses worth several lakhs of rupees. Locals are demanding immediate compensation and enhanced safety measures from the government.

Earlier Fatal Attacks
Just a week earlier, a herd trampled two young men, Prakash Mahato and Charku Mahato, near the Tilaiya underground railway crossing, leaving them with no chance to escape in the darkness.

In other incidents across Jharkhand, 43-year-old Nakul Uraon from Mahua Patra village, Chatra district, died in an elephant attack last Tuesday, while in Lurungi village, Ranchi district, a 40-year-old farmer, Chotan Munda, was killed while attempting to chase away a wild elephant on Saturday night. Enraged villagers blocked NH-75 on Sunday morning, demanding government jobs and compensation for the families of the deceased.

The forest department later provided Rs 25,000 in immediate assistance and assured action, prompting villagers to lift the roadblock.

Suspicious Deaths of Two Elephants
Amid these attacks, the forest department faced a new challenge in Juginanda Tola, Jagannathpur (West Singhbhum), where two female elephants, including a pregnant one, were found dead last Friday. Villagers reported a strong foul odor, prompting them to alert authorities. The discovery has triggered an urgent investigation into the cause of death.