Spike in Elephant Deaths Raises Alarm in Jharkhand’s Kolhan Region

Ranchi – Once known as a safe haven for wild elephants, the Kolhan division in Jharkhand is now facing a crisis, with four elephants dying in the past 35 days alone. This disturbing trend has brought the spotlight back on the escalating human-animal conflict and declining wildlife safety in the region.

The latest case occurred on Thursday in the Serengasia valley of West Singhbhum district, where a wild elephant was found dead under suspicious conditions. Villagers suspect electrocution as the cause.

“Our team reached the site after being alerted about the carcass. A post-mortem is being conducted, and we’ll be able to confirm the cause of death once the report is ready,” said Aditya Narayan, the local forest officer.

Just days earlier, on July 5, a six-year-old elephant named ‘Gadru’ by locals died in the Saranda forest from injuries sustained in a Maoist-planted IED blast on June 24. Despite efforts from the Gujarat-based NGO Vantara, the animal did not survive.

On June 24, another female elephant died due to electrocution in Heaven village of the Chandil forest range. The culprit, a farmer who had illegally electrified his field, is now facing legal action.

Earlier on June 5, an elephant was found dead near Ambeda village, with the cause of death still under investigation.

Over the past three years, more than 15 elephants have perished in Kolhan due to various causes, including a mass electrocution incident in November 2023 that killed five elephants in East Singhbhum. In July 2024, a female elephant was also found dead near Bhadua village.

In Parliament this July, the Union Environment Ministry reported that 528 elephants in India have died from unnatural causes over the past five years, including 30 deaths by electrocution in Jharkhand alone.

With inputs from IANS