Jharkhand Deploys 70 Forest Guards to Block Killer Elephant's Return
Forest officials in West Singhbhum district have mobilized seventy forest guards to patrol the edges of Benisagar forest. Their mission is clear: stop a rogue elephant from slipping back into Jharkhand from neighboring Odisha. This dangerous animal has already claimed twenty lives in the state within less than a month.
Elusive Elephant Evades Capture Efforts
The elephant was last sighted on January 8 in the area. It then entered Benisagar forest and moved into thick forests in Keonjhar district of Odisha the following day. Since that time, it has completely vanished from view.
"Drone cameras have failed to capture it in the last 48 hours," said Khurposi forest range officer Jitendra Prasad Singh. "The elephant is outpacing our teams by moving 30-40 kilometers in a single night."
Intensive Patrols Continue Despite Challenges
Armed with torches, flares, and firecrackers, the forest guard teams scan a 10-15 kilometer stretch of hilly, forested terrain in Majhgaon block every day. Even drone cameras equipped with infrared and night-vision technology have failed to locate the elusive animal. A drone did manage to photograph the elephant in a thicket on January 10, but that remains the last confirmed sighting.
Local Communities Live in Fear
Though no casualties have occurred in the past three days, residents of Benisagar, Ghorabandha, Kitching, and other villages in Majhgaon block continue to live in constant fear. Forest range officer Singh confirmed that his team responds to every call from locals reporting elephant sightings.
"We send teams to these villages immediately," Singh explained. "But each time we arrive, the elephant has already moved on."
Specialized Teams Withdraw from Operation
Specialized rescue teams brought in from Vantara and Wildlife SOS have returned to their bases. The last remaining rescue squad from West Bengal also departed after one of their members, Sukhlal Behera, succumbed to injuries inflicted by the elephant. Behera died on January 10 in an Odisha hospital.
Strategy Shifts from Capture to Containment
Shankar Bhagat, Saranda forest range officer, revealed that the focus has shifted from tranquilizing the animal to preventing its return to Jharkhand. "We are trying to block it from entering our state," Bhagat stated. "If the elephant stays in Odisha forests for a fortnight, it will become acclimatized and hopefully stop venturing into human settlements."
Inter-State Tensions Complicate Situation
Forest department sources indicated that Odisha officials have been attempting to push the elephant back into Jharkhand to prevent potential casualties on their side. This creates a delicate situation where both states seek to protect their residents from the dangerous animal.
Officials Call for Permanent Solutions
Forest officials are urging the department to establish a specialized team dedicated to handling such emergencies. "We have been camping in this region since January 3," Singh noted. "Several important departmental programs, including building check dams before summer, plantation drives, and constructing ponds, have been completely stalled."
"There should be a specialized team whose sole task would be to drive elephants away from human settlements," Singh emphasized. This would allow regular forest department work to continue uninterrupted during such crises.
