Forest officials in India are searching for a single-tusked elephant after 22 people were killed in a string of attacks in the eastern state of Jharkhand, according to The Guardian. The deaths have been reported since the beginning of January 2026 in West Singhbhum district.

The Guardian reported that the attacks have mainly happened at night, with the elephant entering small villages. The first reported victim was a 35-year-old man in Bandijhari village on 1 January 2026. Later victims included a couple and their two young children, as well as a forest department official.

Authorities placed the region on high alert, and residents in the Chaibasa district — where the animal was last spotted — have been warned to avoid forest areas and not go out at night.

Why the Single-tusked Elephant Case is Proving Hard to Contain

Aditya Narayan, the divisional forest officer for Chaibasa district, said officials believe the elephant is a young male separated from his herd and has become “extremely violent”, The Guardian reported. Narayan said officials had tried three times to tranquillise the animal, but those attempts failed.

“Our team is on high alert, and efforts to tranquillise it will be resumed. Villagers have been strictly advised not to go into the forests and to remain vigilant,” Narayan said, according to The Guardian.

The single-tusked elephant has reportedly been covering almost 30km a day. More than 100 forest department personnel have been assigned to track the animal, and wildlife specialists from three other states have been brought in.

The report also linked the incident to wider human-elephant conflict in India, which it attributed to deforestation, food and water scarcity, and growing residential encroachment into former elephant corridors.

Narayan said tranquillisation efforts would resume and residents had been instructed to stay vigilant and avoid forest areas.