RANCHI: In a growing concern for forest officials, another wild elephant, allegedly injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Maoists, succumbed to its injuries in the Saranda forests of Chaibasa late on Thursday evening.
Earlier, on Saturday, a six-year-old wild elephant named ‘Gadru,’ also allegedly injured in an IED blast, died during treatment.
The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Saranda confirmed that both elephants died from injuries caused by an explosive device impacting the base of their legs, believed to be IEDs. He clarified that the two elephants were injured on different dates, indicating they were victims of separate incidents.
“This elephant was reported to be injured on July 8 and succumbed to its injuries on July 10, while the first one was reported on June 27 and died on July 5 during treatment,” the DFO said.
“The nature of wounds of both the elephants were found to be the same – some kind of explosion, due to which the base of their legs had sustained massive injuries. After being reported on July 8, we started its treatment immediately by giving it oral medication,” he added. “But after two days of medication, the elephant succumbed to its injuries late on Thursday evening.”
The DFO stated that the elephant’s sole had been severely damaged at the base of its leg. “Since it was a grown-up elephant of about 18-19 years of age, its leg was also fractured due to the injury,” he said.
According to the DFO, both elephants were suffering from significant blood loss, suggesting they were injured at least a week before being reported.
The DFO also informed that the post-mortem report of the six-year-old elephant which died on July 5 suggested it had been injured by the impact of an explosion, which left its leg bones charred.
Maoists are currently allegedly restricted to the Saranda jungles in Jharkhand, having been driven out of other parts of the state. According to estimates, around 85–90 Maoists are believed to be hiding in the Saranda jungles, where they have allegedly planted thousands of IEDs, posing a persistent challenge to security forces.
The IEDs allegedly planted by Maoists in the Saranda jungles now threaten not just security forces but also pose a serious danger to wild animals.
The state police launched a joint operation in the Kolhan jungles in November 2022 following intelligence inputs that some senior Maoist leaders, including Misir Besra and Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da, were hiding in the strategically significant forest stretch.
Since November 2022, at least six security personnel have lost their lives, and 20 others have been critically injured. The blasts have also claimed the lives of nearly 22 civilians and left a dozen more seriously injured in Chaibasa’s jungles.