Ferocious tusker Dhurbe gets new collar

Kathmandu, July 17: Less than two weeks after allegedly killing a woman and her young son in Chitwan, Dhurbe, one of the country's known wild tuskers, was tranquillised and fitted with a satellite collar for the fourth time on Wednesday in an effort to prevent further human casualties.

Dhruve, estimated to be 35 to 36 years old, had been on the run since July 4, when Ashika Bote, 25, and her four-year-old son Bharat Bote of Belhatta in Bharatpur-23 were killed in an elephant attack. Fourteen years ago, Dhruve was also blamed for killing two other members of the same Bote family. 

Following the latest incident, Chitwan National Park (CNP) coordinated with technical staff from the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), Nepal Army personnel from the New Gorakh Battalion, buffer zone user committees, local authorities and other stakeholders to track the elephant and prevent further loss of life and property.

At around 10:30 pm on Wednesday, the elephant was finally located near Sukhibar Post inside the national park when it was grazing normally and it was found with female and captive elephants nearby. It was darted from a distance of about 20 to 25 metres, fitted with a satellite-based collar and released after its tusks were trimmed.

 “The monsoon weather and thick vegetation made it extremely difficult to locate the elephant, as it could easily hide in the dense forest,” said Avinash Thapa Magar, Conservation and Information Officer at CNP.

Around 14 to 15 technical personnel were directly involved in the operation, while the total deployment, including elephant handlers and Nepal Army personnel, reached 25 to 30 people.

According to CNP, the satellite collar will provide near real-time information on Dhurbe’s location and movements, including geofencing alerts, allowing authorities to monitor the elephant regularly and respond quickly if it approaches human settlements.

Experts said Dhurbe's aggressive behaviour could be linked to musth, a periodic condition in male elephants marked by elevated hormone levels and increased aggression. According to Magar, elephant enters musth two to three times a year. During this period, they may become more dangerous if they encounter people in settlements.

Ashok Ram, an elephant expert and chief conservation officer at Bardiya National Park, said Dhruve’s behaviour is not unusual, as male elephants commonly become more active during the musth period. “This is normal behaviour among male elephants and is not unique to Dhurbe. Male elephants usually enter musth once or twice a year, and during this period their movements increase and they can become more aggressive,” he said.

Regarding reports linking Dhruve to killing people, Ram said elephants have strong memories and may remember individuals who have harmed them. There have been cases in the country where elephants have killed their own handlers, including a recent incident in Bardiya. However, he cautioned that claims that an elephant attacked someone out of revenge cannot be confirmed without scientific evidence.

Elephants are highly social animals, and male elephants often leave their herds in search of breeding opportunities. Since dominant bulls usually monopolise mating, younger males may be forced out of groups, leading to long-distance migration. According to Ram, increased elephant movement has been recorded not only in Chitwan but also in Jhapa, Bardiya, Parsa and Shuklaphanta. He said this is currently the season when elephants are more active.

In Saptari, for example, a herd of around 22 to 27 elephants has been roaming villages, marking the first time such a large group has entered Agnisair Krishnasavaran Rural Municipality. Historically, elephants had reached only as far as Koshi Tappu and Barahakshetra.

Ram said elephants may enter musth twice a year if food is abundant, while most generally experience it once annually.  Ram said that Dhruve, along with other well-known elephants such as Ronaldo and Govinde, Makhna, is not native to Chitwan and is believed to have migrated from eastern Nepal.

According to Ram, elephants migrate mainly for four reasons -- food, water, breeding opportunities and traditional migratory routes used by their ancestors. They can also detect food, water and other elephant groups from distances of around 15 to 20 kilometres.

According to the 2020 national census, Nepal had 227 wild elephants, but the current population is estimated to be around 300.

Of these, around 120 elephants regularly migrate across the Nepal-India border through corridors including Katarniaghat-Bardiya, Dudhwa-Laljhadi Mohana and Shuklaphanta-Pilibhit. Some also move between Banke National Park and India's Sohelwa Wildlife Sanctuary.