Young Elephant Critically Hurt in Maoist Landmine Blast in Jharkhand’s Saranda Region

Chaibasa – In a tragic incident, a female elephant aged around 10 to 12 years was critically injured after stepping on a Maoist-installed IED in the Saranda forest of West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand.

The explosion caused severe damage to her right foreleg, tearing away flesh and leaving deep wounds. Forest officials said the elephant was found suffering in extreme agony and unable to move.

Acting on information from villagers, a team of forest officers and veterinary experts rushed to the site on Monday morning. After hours of effort, they managed to calm the frightened animal and administer emergency treatment, including antibiotics, painkillers, and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Lead veterinarian Dr. Sanjay Kumar said, “Her condition is still critical, but we are trying our best to stabilise her. Plans are underway to relocate her to a protected zone for continued care.”

Officials said the elephant was fed sedative-laced bananas mixed with antibiotics to ease pain and ensure medical support. Continuous surveillance has been deployed to monitor her condition.

The Saranda forest, once rich in biodiversity, has also been a major Maoist-affected area for decades. Authorities suspect that the explosive was meant to target security personnel patrolling the dense forest region.

This is the second such incident in recent months. In July, a six-year-old elephant named “Gadru” died after sustaining similar injuries from a Maoist IED. Despite intensive treatment by specialists, the animal could not survive.

A senior forest department official urged coordinated efforts to locate and neutralize IEDs in forest zones, stressing that such devices pose a grave threat to wildlife and forest rangers.

With inputs from IANS