Fear and tension have gripped Alipurduar’s Madarihat and its adjoining villages as a series of deadly wild elephant attacks have claimed four lives in just two weeks. The latest victim, a woman, was trampled to death late on last Friday night, adding to the mounting toll of human casualties in the forested region of North Bengal.
According to forest officials, the alarming rise in elephant incursions into human settlements is linked to a severe food shortage in Jaldapara National Park. A month after devastating floods swept through the region, the park’s once-green grasslands have been buried under silt and dolomite deposits, leaving wildlife struggling for food.
“The silt layer — ranging from one to one-and-a-half feet — has destroyed the natural fodder sources for elephants, rhinos, bison and deer. As a result, these animals are moving into nearby villages such as Madarihat, Hashimara, and Banarhat in search of food,” said a senior forest department official.
Jaldapara National Park, which spans over 200 square kilometers, is home to around 200 elephants, 330 rhinos, and more than 4,000 bison and deer. Officials warn that fresh grass will not grow for at least the next three months, raising fears of worsening human-wildlife conflict.
On Friday night, panic struck Madarihat again when a woman named Sukhirani was attacked by a tusker around 9 p.m. “Locals heard a sound like a bomb explosion. When Sukhirani came out to check, the elephant suddenly appeared and crushed her before she could react,” a villager recounted. She was rushed to Madarihat Rural Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
The previous week saw an even deadlier sequence of attacks. On October 22, a woman named Sonai Munda and her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter were trampled to death near Madhya Khayerbari while returning home from a relative’s house after Kali Puja.
Another person was also killed in a separate elephant attack in the same area that evening, bringing the day’s death toll to three.
Husband Sitaram Munda tried in vain to save his wife and child. “He fought desperately, but the elephant overpowered them in moments,” said a local witness.
Forest officials have stepped up patrolling in the affected areas. “The patrolling of forest workers has been increased in the area to prevent further attacks. I request everyone to be vigilant,” said Praveen Kaswan, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Jaldapara Sanctuary.
However, residents say fear continues to haunt them. “We can’t sleep at night. Elephants keep entering our villages and damaging crops,” said a villager from Madhya Khayerbari.
Madarihat Ranger Subhasish Roy described the incident as “deeply tragic” and assured that compensation will be provided to the victims’ families as per government norms.
Even as forest officials battle to contain the situation, villagers in Madarihat, Madhya Khayerbari, and surrounding areas remain on edge— uncertain when the next attack might strike.
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