Elephants, Not Leopards, emerge as India’s deadliest wild threat

The death of an assistant sub-inspector of the Arunachal Pradesh Police after a wild elephant attack in Lohit district has once again drawn attention to the rising human–elephant conflict across parts of India. ASI Martin Lego, 40, was trampled to death on Saturday morning when he encountered a wild elephant near the Lohit riverbank while on an outing with friends. While his companions managed to escape, Lego was unable to flee. Police registered an unnatural death case and officials suspect the elephant may have been injured, a factor known to trigger aggressive behaviour. Authorities are preparing advisories urging residents to avoid forested and riverine areas, while the forest department plans to trace and capture the animal.

Though such incidents often appear isolated, the latest fatality reflects a wider pattern seen across eastern and northeastern India in recent months, particularly in Jharkhand, where repeated encounters between humans and elephants have resulted in significant loss of life.

One of the most alarming episodes unfolded in January 2026 in West Singhbhum district’s Kolhan region, where a rogue tusker killed 13 people in two days , including multiple members of families. By late January, officials reported that the same elephant had killed 22 people since New Year’s Day , prompting a large-scale operation involving forest personnel, wildlife experts, drones and tranquiliser teams. Rail services were briefly suspended as the elephant moved through the Chakradharpur division.

Fresh tragedies followed in Bokaro district in February , where a herd searching for stored paddy entered Barkipunnu village around 3 am. Three family members were chased and trampled to death as they fled their damaged home. Days later, a female elephant linked to repeated incursions killed five people in two days , including a nine-year-old child, while injuring several others.

Earlier incidents show a similar pattern. In Giridih (November 2025) , elephants entering agricultural fields killed two women and injured another, with an additional fatality reported days earlier as herds moved through the area. In Latehar (December 2025) , a 21-year-old man was trampled at night after unknowingly stepping into the path of a moving herd.

Recent fatalities reported (Nov 2025 – Feb 2026):

In Giridih (Nov 22 & Nov 25, 2025) at least three deaths were linked to elephant movement; in Latehar (Dec 16, 2025) one death occurred during a nighttime herd encounter; in West Singhbhum (Jan 2026) a rogue elephant killed 13 people in two days , with the toll rising to 22 deaths since New Year’s Day ; in Bokaro (Feb 6, 2026) three family members were killed after a herd entered their home area; and in Bokaro (Feb 8, 2026) a rampaging elephant killed five people in two days .

Forest officials emphasise that elephants rarely attack humans deliberately. Fatal encounters usually occur when animals are startled, injured, protecting calves, or moving through human settlements along traditional migration routes. Nighttime movement, poor visibility, stored crops, and sudden human presence can trigger defensive reactions.

Experts attribute the rising frequency of such incidents to shrinking forest cover, fragmentation of elephant corridors, mining activity, railway lines cutting through habitats, and expanding settlements . Climate stress and reduced water availability also push herds closer to villages in search of food and water. In many regions, elephants continue to follow traditional migration paths that now pass through farms and habitations.

Short-term measures such as patrols, firecrackers, and driving herds away provide only temporary relief. Authorities are increasingly relying on tracking teams, early-warning advisories and relocation efforts for aggressive animals. However, conservationists stress that long-term solutions including restoration of elephant corridors, habitat protection, real-time tracking systems, solar fencing and improved village-level warning infrastructure are essential to prevent recurring tragedies.

Beyond compensation, experts say affected families require sustained support, including medical care, trauma counselling, livelihood assistance and education support for children who lose caregivers.

The Arunachal Pradesh incident, though geographically distant from Jharkhand’s conflict zones, underscores a national reality: as human settlements expand into wildlife habitats, encounters between people and elephants are becoming more frequent and more deadly. Without coordinated conservation planning and habitat protection, both human safety and elephant survival remain at risk.