Panic gripped West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand on Friday as a rogue two-tusked elephant killed three more people, including a forest department employee and a child, raising the death toll linked to the animal to 22 in the past nine days. The elephant’s attacks have left villagers and authorities on edge, with fears of further casualties escalating.

The first fatal attack occurred early Friday morning near Tilokuti village in Benisagar panchayat, Majhgaon block, where the elephant trampled two villagers, including 40-year-old Prakash Malwa and a young child. Eyewitnesses described how the child’s body became entangled in the tusks, highlighting the brutality of the rampage.

Hours later, the tusker struck again while a forest department team, accompanied by locals, attempted to drive it away. A forest worker was killed on the spot after being slammed to the ground, while another staffer from West Bengal sustained serious injuries after being flung by the elephant. Authorities noted the sudden resurgence of aggression despite the animal remaining calm over the past 48 hours.

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Since January 1, the rogue elephant has repeatedly entered residential areas, mostly attacking people at night inside their homes, and has been active across 12 different locations. Thursday had been a rare respite with no casualties reported. Villagers and forest officials remain on high alert, fearing more attacks until the elephant is successfully controlled.

In response, the forest department, along with the Gujarat-based Vantara team and officials from West Bengal and Odisha, have intensified monitoring and patrolling. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Ashutosh Upadhyay and Regional Chief Conservator Smita Pankaj visited the affected areas, directing quick response teams and forest protection committees to remain fully activated.

Authorities confirmed that the elephant will be tranquilised and relocated to a safer habitat once its precise location is established. Meanwhile, villagers have demanded intensified night patrols and a robust warning system to prevent further deaths, as the state battles one of the deadliest rogue elephant crises in recent memory.

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