Rampaging Elephant 'Dhruve' to be Sedated, Tusk Trimmed, and Fitted with New Radio Collar

Chitwan. The rogue elephant 'Dhruve', responsible for 25 deaths, will be brought under control, its tusks trimmed, and a new radio collar fitted. The elephant's tusks were also trimmed two years ago. Chief Conservation Officer Dil Bahadur Purja Pun informed that the elephant will be sedated for the tusk trimming and new radio collar installation.

The elephant killed two members of the same family last Saturday night. Officer Purja Pun stated that including this incident, 25 people have died due to this elephant. He mentioned that the elephant has been under continuous monitoring since the incident.

The elephant had attacked the gate of the community forest in Meghouli's Golaghat and consumed food from two local houses on Monday evening. He said, "We are prepared; as soon as we find it, we will dart it, then trim its tusks and prepare to fit a new radio collar." The new collar is being prepared because the previously installed one was not providing timely information.

The radio collar for the elephant has arrived. Once this device is installed, it will be easier to inform locals and take precautions upon receiving information about the elephant entering human settlements.

Last Saturday night, Dhruve killed 21-year-old Ashika Bote and her four-year-old son Bharat Bote in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-23. After attacking the mother and son, Dhruve fled to the Sukhibhar area of the national park.

While they were at home, Dhruve, who came from the jungle that Saturday night, attacked. When Ashika's husband tried to light a fire to drive the elephant away, the house itself was destroyed by fire.

After attacking and killing a Nepali Army officer in 2074 BS, the elephant took the lives of these mother and son after nearly nine years. Dhruve, known as the elephant that has killed the most people in Chitwan National Park, was ordered to be killed around 2068/69 BS when it began taking human lives almost daily.

After killing four people in Madi alone within a month from November 2069 BS, the local administration decided to kill it. Starting to attack and kill people in 2066 BS, Dhruve had already taken 15 lives by 2069 BS. The elephant has been repeatedly fitted with radio collars and its tusks trimmed.

The national park has wild male elephants named Ronaldo, Govinde, Dhruve, among others. The park's female elephants breed with these male elephants. According to Chief Conservation Officer Purja Pun, there are 45 to 50 wild elephants inside the national park. Other elephants are not causing trouble in that area. The national park, the disaster management committee, and other concerned organizations are preparing to rebuild houses destroyed by the elephant, including those that caught fire.