Five killed in separate wild elephant attacks in Jharkhand, human-elephant conflict worsens

Five people, including two women, were trampled to death by wild elephants in separate incidents in Jharkhand over the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.

Three deaths were reported from the Sirka forest area of Ramgarh district , while a 36-year-old man was killed in Jidu village under Angara police station limits in Ranchi district on Tuesday night. Some of the deceased are yet to be identified, officials said.

Divisional Forest Officer (Ramgarh) Nitish Kumar said two Quick Response Teams (QRTs) and forest guards have been deployed to track the movement of elephant herds in the area. He added that around 42 elephants , moving in multiple herds, are currently roaming forested border areas of Ramgarh and Bokaro districts .

In one of the incidents, Amit Kumar Rajwar (32) was trampled to death on Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly approached a herd of eight elephants to record videos and take selfies, officials said.

In Ranchi district, Angara police station officer-in-charge Gautam Kumar Rajwar said Sanicharwa Munda succumbed to injuries during treatment, while two others, including a woman, are undergoing treatment in hospital.

Rising death toll in 2025

With the latest five fatalities, Jharkhand has reported at least around 14 human deaths due to wild elephant attacks so far this year, based on incidents documented across districts such as Ramgarh, Ranchi, Latehar, Gumla and Simdega. Officials acknowledge that the actual annual toll is compiled later by the forest department and may vary once verified data is released.

Jharkhand remains one of the country’s human-elephant conflict hotspots, with frequent movement of herds through forest fringes and villages, often leading to deadly encounters.

District authorities said QRTs, night patrolling and real-time tracking of herds have been intensified in affected areas following the latest incidents. Villagers have also been advised to avoid forest paths at night and maintain distance from elephant herds.

At the state level, the government has reiterated measures under its human-elephant conflict mitigation plan, which include early-warning systems, community awareness drives, coordination with power utilities to prevent electrocution, habitat management, and compensation to victims’ families. Ex-gratia assistance is provided for deaths and injuries caused by wildlife, officials said.

Despite these steps, forest officials admit that fragmented habitats, shrinking corridors and human intrusion continue to fuel conflict, particularly during seasonal elephant movement across central and eastern Jharkhand.