Overview
- Officials confirm at least 20 people were killed between 1 and 9 January in West Singhbhum’s Chaibasa and Kolhan forest fringes.
- More than 100 forest personnel, drones and interstate specialists are searching for a single-tusked young male that has evaded three tranquilization attempts.
- The animal has not been sighted for several days, and local reports note a recent lull in attacks as teams monitor villages and enforce night-time safety advisories.
- Most fatalities occurred at night near fields or homes, and the dead include children, elderly residents and a forest department worker.
- Experts tie the rise in encounters to shrinking habitats, with related incidents including a suspected-anthrax elephant carcass in Ramgarh and a separate fatal attack in Karnataka.