RANCHI: Amid rising deaths linked to man–animal conflict in Jharkhand, a wild elephant was found dead in a potato field at Gola in Ramgarh district on Monday.
Forest officials said the exact cause of death is not yet clear, but suspected that the elephant may have died due to anthrax. Anthrax is a rare but serious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The spores release toxins in the body that can destroy tissues. The disease mainly affects farm animals and wild game.
Forest department officials said a detailed investigation is under way to determine the cause of death. All possibilities are being examined, including disease, inter-species conflict and human-related causes. The exact reason will be known only after the post-mortem report is received.
“The department is taking the elephant's death very seriously. All necessary procedures under wildlife conservation laws are being followed, and any negligence will not be tolerated. Villagers have also been asked to maintain peace and refrain from spreading rumors,” said Ranger RK Singh.
He added that tissue samples of the elephant have been collected to rule out poisoning. Since both tusks were found intact, officials said the possibility of poaching has also been ruled out.
According to local residents, two elephants entered a farmer’s field near the village late at night and damaged the potato crop. During the incident, one elephant collapsed and died, while the other fled into the nearby forest. Forest officials expressed concern that the surviving elephant could turn aggressive after losing its companion. As a precaution, the department has put the area on high alert and increased surveillance in nearby villages to drive the elephant back if it strays into human habitation.
Ramgarh Divisional Forest Officer Nitish Kumar said the elephant may have died due to anthrax and that blood samples have been sent for examination. He noted that a herd of elephants has been roaming in the Gola, Ramgarh, Kuju and West Bokaro areas of Ramgarh district for the past month and has killed as many as eight people. The elephants have also damaged standing crops and properties in several villages.
Forest teams are making efforts to push the herd back into the forest, but so far without success. Officials said the Gola forest area is an elephant corridor, and the animals are frequently seen there.
Meanwhile, a rogue elephant in Chaibasa has killed 22 people since January 1 this year. Forest officials said the animal became extremely violent after being separated from its herd and has been on a rampage for the past 12 days.