The elephant injured in an IED blast in the Saranda jungles of West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand on October 6 succumbed to its injuries early Sunday morning, despite continuous medical efforts by experts.
This incident marks the fourth elephant death caused by IED explosions in the Saranda forests within the past three months. While three elephants had died during treatment, another was found dead deep inside the jungle earlier.
Maoist extremists, now largely confined to the Saranda region after being driven out of most parts of Jharkhand, are believed to have planted thousands of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) across the area.
According to estimates, around 70 Maoists are currently hiding in the dense forest, posing a serious challenge not only to security forces but also to wildlife. Forest department officials said that despite the best possible care provided by veterinary experts, including specialists from Vantara, Gujarat, the female elephant could not be saved.
“The elephant succumbed to its injuries around 1:30 am to 2:00 am on Sunday. It had suffered a severe wound on its right forelimb. Although it is yet to be officially confirmed, the pattern of the injury suggests it was caused by an IED blast,” said an official.
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The injured elephant, aged around 10 to 12 years, was first spotted in the Ankua area of the Saranda jungle and later rescued for treatment. It had lost a significant amount of blood and was unable to walk due to the severity of the wound.
Sinha added that four teams of veterinary doctors from Jharkhand and Odisha, assisted by experts from Gujarat, were monitoring the animal round-the-clock. “When the monitoring teams arrived in the morning, the elephant was found dead,” he said.
Since November 2022, when joint operations were launched by the state police in the Kolhan forests, Maoist-triggered IED blasts have claimed the lives of six security personnel and injured over 20 others, apart from killing 22 civilians and injuring many more.
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