No gatherings, weapons allowed near elephants in Jharkhand villages
To keep people safe from a herd of 18 elephants roaming nearby, officials have put special restrictions in place across five villages in Gumla district, Jharkhand.
From January 30 to February 15, gatherings near the elephants are banned, and carrying weapons or blocking roads is not allowed.
Locals have been chasing the herd
The goal is to avoid clashes between curious locals and the elephants.
Forest officer Ahmad Belal shared that some people have been chasing the herd despite warnings, which only raises the risk for everyone.
This is actually the third time such orders have been needed in just six months.
Over 25 human deaths due to elephant attacks this month
Jharkhand has about 550-600 wild elephants, mostly in Palamu and southern Chotanagpur.
Sadly, elephant attacks are becoming more common—over 25 people have died this year alone, and as many as 474 since the 2019-20 fiscal.
A single rogue tusker claimed the lives of 20 people since January.