A juvenile elephant that had been wandering injured for the past eleven days in the dense forests of Saranda in West Singhbhum district died late Saturday night during treatment. The elephant had reportedly sustained injuries due to an IED blast, possibly linked to ongoing left-wing extremism in the region.

Forest officials from Jharkhand and Odisha, supported by a specialist team from Vantara — the wildlife rescue unit based in Jamnagar, Gujarat — had initiated a joint rescue operation. The elephant was tranquilised on Saturday for medical intervention, but did not survive the procedure.

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According to Saranda Divisional Forest Officer Abhiroop Sinha, the animal had been under observation and efforts were being made to trace and treat it. However, difficult terrain and delayed localisation hampered early medical aid.

The Vantara team, known for handling high-risk wildlife rescues, administered tranquilisation in accordance with standard protocol, which allows a single-dose intervention. The animal failed to regain consciousness thereafter. Post-mortem is being conducted in the presence of forest officials, and preparations are underway to bury the carcass at the site.