Fourth Elephant Dies After Suspected IED Blast in Jharkhand’s Saranda Forest

Overview

• The 13-year-old animal, found gravely hurt earlier this month, died after about 10 days of care, according to a forest official.
• Officials said the wounds came from an improvised explosive device allegedly planted by Maoists in West Singhbhum.
• Forest staff and veterinary doctors treated the elephant at the site, yet they could not save it.
• In response, the Saranda divisional forest officer said two elephant rescue centres are being built at Anandpur and Noamundi, with another already in Jamshedpur near Dimna Lake.
• The officer reported six elephant blast injuries in the past year, most ending in death, and warned that thousands of planted IEDs now endanger wildlife and rescue teams.