Wild elephant seriously injured in Naxal-planted IED blast in Saranda forest; rescue underway

A wild elephant has been seriously injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in the rugged Saranda forest, highlighting a growing threat to wildlife in Naxal-affected regions. The incident, believed to have occurred between June 24 and 26, left the elephant with a badly injured and swollen hind left leg near Digha. Forest department teams from both Jharkhand and Odisha are now actively engaged in a challenging search and rescue operation to locate and treat the injured pachyderm.

According to information from the forest department, the injured elephant is approximately six years old. It was last sighted on June 27 near Digha in Saranda, where an individual reportedly observed it spraying water on its wound, indicating its distress and the severity of the injury. The incident underscores the pervasive danger posed by IEDs, which are frequently planted by Naxalites in these remote forest areas, primarily targeting security forces but now impacting innocent wildlife.

The ongoing search operation involves multiple teams working collaboratively across state lines to pinpoint the elephant's exact location. Once found, the plan is to tranquilize the animal and provide it with necessary medical treatment. This incident adds to concerns about the broader impact of Naxalite activities on the fragile ecosystem and biodiversity of the Saranda forest, a region known for its rich wildlife but also for its history of left-wing extremism.