Rampaging elephant kills 20 in Indian state of Jharkhand

Search efforts intensify as forest officials are on high alert over past nine days

An elephant has wreaked havoc across the West Singhbhum district of India’s Jharkhand state, killing at least 20 people over the first nine days of January 2026. The wild elephant, believed to be male and separated from its herd, attacks at night and has terrorised villagers.

According to Indian and foreign outlets, the forest department has launched an intense search operation to track down the animal, but it remains elusive. The elephant has already killed 13 people in two days, and the death toll continues to rise. Authorities have deployed specialised wildlife teams, including from neighbouring states, to assist in the hunt, but so far, efforts to capture or tranquilise the animal have failed.

The rampage began in early January, when the elephant started attacking villages, killing entire families in their homes. The most recent fatalities occurred on January 12, when the animal killed two more people before slipping into neighbouring Odisha.

Forest officials speculate that the elephant may be in musth, a period in which male elephants become more aggressive due to hormonal changes. This condition has led to similar attacks in the past, especially in areas where human settlements encroach on elephant habitats. Experts also point to the growing human-elephant conflict, driven by deforestation and the reduction of wildlife corridors, as a major factor behind the increasing number of attacks.

"The elephant has been very difficult to track. It is moving in and out of dense forests and slipping across state borders, making it harder for teams to corner it," said a spokesperson from the Jharkhand forest department, according to the media.

Authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant and to avoid areas where the elephant has been spotted. A special task force has been set up to coordinate the search and ensure the safety of the public.