Wild elephant kills 20 in India’s Jharkhand as rescue teams struggle to track it

At least 20 people have been killed by a wild elephant over nine days in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, as forest officials continue efforts to trace and capture the animal.

The deaths occurred between Jan 1 and Jan 9 in the Chaibasa and Kolhan forest areas of West Singhbhum district, part of one of the largest Sal forests in Asia, the BBC reports.

Human-elephant conflict has been reported in the region for years, with authorities linking it to shrinking forest cover, habitat fragmentation, and increased human activity near elephant corridors, it added.

The BBC noted that a massive search operation involving more than 100 forest personnel is under way to locate the elephant.

"This is an unprecedented situation. It's the first time such a pattern of fatalities has been linked to a single male elephant in the region," said divisional forest officer Kuldeep Meena, adding that the entire area had been put on high alert to prevent further loss of life and property.

Their immediate priority, he added, was to trace, capture and safely return the animal into the wild.

District Magistrate Chandan Kumar told the BBC that a forest worker is among the 20 people who have died. Authorities have announced monetary compensation for their families.

Most of the deaths occurred at night, when residents were guarding paddy stored in fields and barns - a common practice in rural India.

One of the victims, 34-year-old Mangal Singh Hembram, was attacked near his home in Bodijari village while returning from work, officials said.

In Birsingh Hatu village, 62-year-old Urdub Bahoda was killed while watching over his field, according to his family. Later the same night, Vishnu Sundi, 42, from a neighbouring village was trampled to death while sleeping outside his house, his son said.

In another incident on Jan 5, Kundra Bahoda and his two children -- 6-year-old Kodama and 8-year-old Samu -- both identified with single names, were killed by the elephant.

Kundra's wife, Pundi, said she escaped with her injured 2-year-old daughter and found out only later that her husband and two older children had died.

Forest officials said the elephant was young, agile and frequently changed its location, particularly at night, making it difficult to track.

Teams have been using traditional drum alerts to warn residents and advising people not to go outdoors or sleep outside at night, according to the BBC.

A preliminary assessment suggests the animal may be in its mating phase, when male elephants experience heightened aggression due to increased testosterone levels, Meena said, adding that such behaviour usually subsides within 15 to 20 days.

Officials also believe the elephant may have strayed from its herd, underlining the need to locate it and allow it to rejoin other elephants in the forest.