Overview
- The elephant has been linked to killings since January 1 in West Singhbhum’s Chaibasa area, with victims including children and an elephant handler.
- Search teams of more than 80 forest officers are using drones and have made multiple failed attempts to tranquilize the animal.
- Authorities say the tusker was briefly pushed toward neighboring Odisha before local staff directed it back to Chaibasa over safety concerns.
- Residents across dozens of villages are sleeping on rooftops or in trees as police and forest patrols issue night warnings and advise people to stay indoors.
- Officials report no new deaths and no confirmed sightings in recent days, while the state has announced Rs 4 lakh compensation per bereaved family and cited broader human–elephant conflict tied to habitat loss.