Elephant attack kills woman, injures man in Jhapa

A 70-year-old woman died and a 73-year-old man was seriously injured after two elephants attacked them during a morning walk in Jhapa’s Barhadashi Rural Municipality on Tuesday, Kartik 3, 2083 (BS). The incident occurred near the Biring River, according to Ranjan Awa, information officer at the District Police Office.The victim, identified as Lajuma Khatun, 70, was critically injured and died on the way to Provincial Hospital in Bhadrapur. Her body has been kept at the hospital for post-mortem examination. The injured man, Jhakku Rajbanshi, 73, who was walking with Khatun, is currently receiving treatment at Spine X Hospital in Birtamod.The latest incident underscores the severe and long-standing human-elephant conflict in Jhapa, a district in Koshi Province. Wild elephants frequently cross into Nepal from West Bengal, India, leading to increased encounters with human settlements. Deforestation, encroachment on forest land, and physical obstructions along traditional elephant migration routes have shrunk the elephants’ habitat, forcing them into populated areas where they destroy crops and attack people.Nepal has recorded 274 deaths due to elephant attacks over the past two decades, with Jhapa accounting for the highest number at 41 fatalities. Data for Jhapa alone shows 72 deaths from elephant attacks in the last 15 years. From Shrawan 2081 (BS) to June 2025, five people have died and six have been injured in elephant attacks in Jhapa.The government of Nepal implemented the ‘Wildlife Damage Relief Distribution Directive-2080’ on Shrawan 1, 2080 (BS), to provide compensation for damages caused by wildlife. Under this directive, families of victims who die in wildlife attacks are eligible for Rs 1 million in relief. For seriously injured individuals, treatment expenses are covered according to hospital bills, a significant increase from the previous limit of Rs 200,000. Minor injuries are covered up to Rs 20,000 based on health institution recommendations and bills.Victim families must apply for relief at the relevant forest office within 35 days of the incident. Efforts to mitigate human-elephant conflict in Jhapa include electric fencing, construction of biological corridors, creation of ponds in forest areas, planting fruit trees, and patrolling.The past few months have also seen an increase in elephant deaths. Four wild male elephants died between late Bhadra and Ashoj 2083 (BS), with three of these deaths occurring in Ashoj alone. Ronaldo, a well-known elephant from Chitwan National Park, died on Ashoj 3, 2083 (BS), due to electrocution. According to Dr. Ashok Kumar Ram, Chief Conservation Officer at Parsa National Park, nine wild male elephants died last year, and 58 elephants have died due to human-related causes in the last 15 years. This trend indicates that both human and elephant lives are at risk.Lajuma Khatun’s body will be handed over to her family after the post-mortem examination. Jhakku Rajbanshi will continue to receive treatment at Spine X Hospital in Birtamod. Khatun’s family can apply for relief under the ‘Wildlife Damage Relief Distribution Directive-2080’ by submitting an application to the relevant forest office within 35 days of the incident.