Baripada: Tension flared along the Odisha–Jharkhand border on Friday after a rogue tusker killed two people and critically injured a forest employee in a series of attacks barely 50 metres from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. The incidents occurred in Benisagar village of Jharkhand’s Majhigaon block, triggering panic in border villages under Raruan panchayat.
The rampage began around 7.15 am when the tusker attacked a boy herding goats, crushing him to death. Less than an hour later, at around 8 am, the elephant struck again, killing Prakash Malua (40) from behind in a brutal attack. The animal reportedly lingered near the first victim’s body for several hours, hampering rescue efforts and heightening fear in the area.
At around 1 pm, a Jharkhand forest department employee who attempted to drive away the elephant was attacked and seriously injured. He was initially taken to Rarua Community Health Centre in Odisha and later shifted to Kendujhar District Headquarters Hospital after his condition deteriorated.
Forest sources said the tusker has been on a deadly rampage in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district for over a week, during which it has reportedly killed 21 people. With videos of the attacks circulating widely, the Jharkhand administration has issued public alerts, while forest officials continue to track the animal’s movement amid reports that it may be tranquilized.
Fearing the elephant’s entry into Odisha, forest personnel led by Rarua forester Jaysingh Mahanta have been deployed along the Rarua–Benisagar border. Meanwhile, repeated movement of elephant herds into the Karanjia forest division of Keonjhar district has worsened the crisis, with villagers reporting crop destruction, sleepless nights and growing fear as elephants repeatedly stray into human settlements.
