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Elephant deaths in Jharkhand's Chaibasa raise concern as officials probe unexplained pattern

RANCHI: A series of mysterious elephant deaths in the Chaibasa forest range of West Singhbhum district has raised concern among forest officials, with three wild tuskers found dead within two weeks without any external injuries. On Tuesday, the body of another male elephant was recovered in the Sosopi forest. According to officials, the elephant bore no external injuries and its tusks were intact. Notably, this is the third such elephant death in less than a fortnight in the Chaibasa Forest Division without any apparent cause. Earlier, two elephants were found dead about 10 days ago near Jogidaru and Kudohatu. Chaibasa Divisional Forest Officer Aditya Narayan confirmed the series of deaths. Yes, an elephant was found dead in the forests of Chaibasa and we are trying to find out the reasons behind its death. Since there is no sign of any external injury and its tusks are intact, poaching cannot be the reason behind it, said the DFO. Forensic experts have been roped in to determine the actual cause of death, and any conclusion can be drawn only after the reports are obtained, he added. Regional Chief Conservator of Forests of the Kolhan Division, Smita Pankaj, described the deaths as a mystery. Officials are trying to establish the exact cause of these deaths, she said. Incidentally, several elephants have died in Chaibasa due to different reasons in recent years. Some were killed in IED blasts, some died due to electrocution, while many were mowed down by speeding trains. Earlier, at least four elephants were killed in separate IED blasts in the Saranda forest within three months; three of them died during treatment, while another was found dead in the jungle. According to an estimate, around 6065 Maoists are believed to be hiding in the Saranda jungles, where they have planted thousands of IEDs. This has become a challenge for security forces and poses a potential threat to wildlife as well. In July this year, a wild elephant was found dead under suspicious circumstances in the Serengasia valley of Chaibasa. Locals claimed the elephant died of electrocution. Earlier, as many as five elephants died of electrocution together after coming in contact with a 33,000-volt overhead wire in the jungles of Musabani under Ghatsila sub-division of East Singhbhum district in November 2023. Two wild elephants also died due to electrocution in the region on November 1 and November 2, 2023. In July 2019, an adult tusker died after coming in contact with an 11,000-volt overhead transmission line at Khalarisai village in the Kharswan forest division of Jharkhand. Earlier, two tuskers died of electrocution in 201718 and 201819 each. In 201617, two elephants died after a speeding train ran over them while they were crossing the railway line.