Five people, including two women, were trampled to death by wild elephants in separate incidents across Jharkhand over the past 24 hours, underscoring the growing human–wildlife conflict along forest fringes, officials said on Wednesday.

In Ramgarh district, three people were killed in the Sirka forest area, while another death was reported from Jidu village in Ranchi’s Angara region on Tuesday night, officials said. A fifth victim, a 36-year-old man, was also killed in a separate incident during the same period.

“Some of the deceased are yet to be identified. Two quick response teams (QRTs) and forest guards are tracking the movement of elephant herds in the area,” said Nitish Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, Ramgarh.

Officials said the latest fatalities include the death of Amit Kumar Rajwar, 32, who was trampled on Tuesday afternoon in Ramgarh after he approached a herd of eight wild elephants to capture a video and take selfies.

Forest authorities said the situation remains volatile, with as many as 42 elephants, moving in multiple herds, currently roaming forested border areas of Ramgarh and neighbouring Bokaro districts. Teams are monitoring the herds’ movement to prevent further casualties.

Gautam Kumar Rajwar, officer-in-charge of Angara police station, said a person named Sanicharwa Munda died during the course of treatment, while two injured, including a woman, are being treated in hospital.

Earlier this year, in August a tourist had a narrow escape after being attacked by a wild tusker in Bandipur National Park, Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district.

According to forest officials, the incident occurred on the national highway that cuts through the Bandipur forest. The tourist, reportedly from Kerala, had stopped to photograph a wild elephant eating tomatoes by the roadside. The man was pinned under the elephant’s foot before the animal retreated, allowing him to escape.

Last month in Assam, a 45-year-old man was trampled to death by an elephant. Seeing the person, the elephant made a chase and trampled him. The man died instantly. Police and forest officials rushed to the spot and sent the body to the hospital.

What can be a possible reason?

A breach of space is often perceived by an elephant as a threat.

Experts say, before charging, elephants usually display clear warning signals: they may drag their feet, flap their ears, shake their heads or trumpet loudly. These behaviours are signs of distress and a warning to retreat.

However, inexperienced onlookers and novice photographers may fail to recognise these cues, misreading the moment and putting themselves at serious risk.