At least 20 people have been killed by a single wild elephant over the course of nine days in eastern India, officials said, noting that the animal has not yet been captured.
The deaths occurred from New Year’s Day to January 9 in the forest areas of Chaibasa and Kolhan in the state of Jharkhand, according to the BBC.
Most of the deaths took place at night, when residents guard rice in fields and storage areas, a common practice in rural India.
One of the victims, a 34-year-old man, was attacked near his home while returning from work. In another case, a 42-year-old man was trampled to death while sleeping outside his house.
On January 5, a father and his two sons, aged 6 and 8, were killed by the elephant. His wife and their 2-year-old daughter managed to escape, although the little girl was injured. Only later did the woman learn that her husband and her two older children had been killed.
Forest authorities said the male elephant is young and agile and frequently changes location, especially at night, making it difficult to track.
It is possible that the animal is in its mating phase, during which male elephants display increased aggression due to elevated testosterone levels. Officials said this behavior usually subsides within 15 to 20 days. Another possibility is that the elephant has become separated from its herd.
Meanwhile, a large-scale operation to locate the elephant is underway, involving more than 100 forest officials.
Incidents of elephant attacks have not been uncommon in the region in recent years and are linked to the reduction of forest cover and increased human activity near elephant corridors.
(information from protothema.gr)
