A sniper, deployed by Jharkhand’s forest department, on Friday shot dead an elephant that is believe to have killed 15 people in Bihar and Jharkhand, Reuters reported. The tusker is believed to have wandered from its herd and got lost. State forest official N K Singh estimated the animal’s age to be around 25 years.
Officials extracted its tusks and plan on burying it with flowers and salt, the news agency reported.
The animal had allegedly killed four people in Bihar in March before crossing into the neighbouring state of Jharkhand where it killed 11 more people.
LR Singh, the state’s chief forest and wildlife conservator, had told AFP that shooting the animal was a last resort option. A hunter was called in from Hyderabad and a five-member team of trainers were asked to arrive from Uttar Pradesh to tame the elephant, Hindustan Times had reported on Tuesday.
Those who were killed in Jharkhand belonged to the endangered tribal community known as Pahariya.
Incidentally, August 12 is observed as World Elephant Day.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!