A disturbing video has surfaced on social media from Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, showing an elephant hurling, slamming and trampling a youth as others flee for their lives. The youth, who had gone close
to an elephant herd to take selfies with the jumbos, paid with his life for provoking the animal.
According to reports, the incident occurred on Tuesday evening in the Ara Sarubeda area under Ghaton OP, triggering panic in the locality.
According to the Forest Department, a herd of more than 24 wild elephants had been roaming the area for the past few days. People from nearby villages had gathered to watch the elephants, with many youths recording videos, photos and reels on their mobile phones. On Tuesday, some youths ventured dangerously close to the herd in the Sarubeda area. Although several people warned them against doing so, the advice was ignored.
Agitated by human presence, one wild elephant suddenly turned aggressive and charged at the group. Panic ensued as people ran to save their lives. However, one youth failed to escape and came under the elephant’s attack. The animal grabbed him with its trunk, repeatedly slammed him to the ground and trampled him, killing him on the spot.
The deceased has been identified as Amit Rajwar, around 35 years old and a resident of the West Bokaro OP area. Following the incident, a large crowd gathered at the site. Ranger Bateshwar Paswan confirmed the incident, stating that a Quick Response Team (QRT) was immediately dispatched, but the victim had already succumbed to his injuries. Efforts are now underway to drive the elephants back into the forest.
The Forest Department said residents had been warned two days earlier not to approach wild elephants. Ignoring the warnings proved fatal. The department has once again appealed to the public to maintain a safe distance from wild elephants and avoid risking their lives.
