Latest news with #Gadru
Hans India
3 days ago
- Hans India
Jharkhand-Bengal elephant corridor turns into jumbo death trap: 7 die in 45 days
Jamshedpur: The once-vital 'Elephant Corridor' connecting Jharkhand's Kolhan division to neighbouring West Bengal has turned into a deadly passage for the very creatures it was meant to protect. In just the past 45 days, seven elephants have died within a 100 km stretch. These pachyderms are the victims of train accidents, electrocution, and even landmines. The most recent tragedy occurred on the intervening night of July 17-18, when three elephants, including two calves and an adult, were mowed down by the speeding Jan Shatabdi Express near Banstola railway station in West Bengal's Jhargram district, adjacent to Jharkhand's Ghatsila subdivision. The elephants were crossing the tracks when the train hit them around 1 a.m. All three died on the spot. Their mangled bodies lay on the railway tracks for hours, causing a major disruption on the busy Howrah-Mumbai rail route. The bodies were removed only later on Friday morning using JCB machines, after which train traffic resumed. The herd had been seen in the Banstola forest for several days. According to the forest department, railway authorities were warned about the herd's presence, but no precaution was taken to reduce the speed of the trains. On the night of the incident, villagers and forest officials were trying to guide the elephants away from human habitation using torches when the tragedy struck. Jhargram Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Umar Imam said the accident could have been avoided with timely intervention and better coordination. 'If the train had slowed down as alerted, the collision might have been averted,' he said. This is just one in a series of fatal incidents in the Jharkhand-Bengal Elephant Corridor. On July 10, a wild elephant was found dead in the Serengasia valley of West Singhbhum district, suspected to have died from electrocution by live wires laid in a farm field. On July 5, a six-year-old elephant named Gadru died in Saranda Forest, days after being injured in an IED explosion planted by Maoists. Despite efforts by the Forest Department and wildlife NGO Vantara from Gujarat to save him, he succumbed to his injuries. On June 24, a female elephant died of electrocution in Heaven village under the Chandil Forest range of Seraikela-Kharsawan district. She came into contact with an illegally electrified fence installed by a farmer. Authorities have launched an investigation. On June 5, another elephant was found dead in a field near Ambeda in the same forest area, reportedly also due to electrocution. The death toll highlights a growing crisis in Kolhan's forest landscape. In the past three years, over 20 elephants have died in various parts of the Kolhan division alone. Earlier, five elephants died due to electrocution in Musabani (East Singhbhum) in November 2023. In July 2024, a female elephant was found dead in Bhadua village of Baharagora. According to data presented in Parliament, 528 elephants have died from unnatural causes in India over the last five years. Jharkhand alone accounts for 30 of those deaths due to electrocution.
New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Maoist IEDs in Jharkhand's Saranda forest allegedly claim another wild elephant
RANCHI: In a growing concern for forest officials, another wild elephant, allegedly injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Maoists, succumbed to its injuries in the Saranda forests of Chaibasa late on Thursday evening. Earlier, on Saturday, a six-year-old wild elephant named 'Gadru,' also allegedly injured in an IED blast, died during treatment. The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Saranda confirmed that both elephants died from injuries caused by an explosive device impacting the base of their legs, believed to be IEDs. He clarified that the two elephants were injured on different dates, indicating they were victims of separate incidents. 'This elephant was reported to be injured on July 8 and succumbed to its injuries on July 10, while the first one was reported on June 27 and died on July 5 during treatment,' the DFO said. 'The nature of wounds of both the elephants were found to be the same – some kind of explosion, due to which the base of their legs had sustained massive injuries. After being reported on July 8, we started its treatment immediately by giving it oral medication,' he added. 'But after two days of medication, the elephant succumbed to its injuries late on Thursday evening.' The DFO stated that the elephant's sole had been severely damaged at the base of its leg. 'Since it was a grown-up elephant of about 18-19 years of age, its leg was also fractured due to the injury,' he said.
New Indian Express
06-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Injured elephant dies after suspected Maoist IED blast in Jharkhand's Saranda forest
RANCHI: A six-year-old wild elephant named 'Gadru', which was seriously injured in a suspected IED blast planted by Maoists in the Saranda Forest of Chaibasa, has sadly succumbed to its injuries despite intensive treatment efforts. The elephant had been spotted wandering in the forest in an injured condition ten days ago. Gadru was believed to have sustained injuries on June 24, but it was only located on June 27 with the help of a drone camera. Despite exhaustive efforts by the Forest Department and veterinary experts, the elephant could not be saved. 'After several hours of treatment, the elephant finally collapsed late on Saturday evening due to excessive blood loss and infection. It had sustained a major injury to its hind limb, which became severely infected and spread throughout its body,' said Saranda Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Aviroop Sinha. He added that further details would be available following the post-mortem, scheduled for Sunday.
