Hunter fells rogue elephant that killed 15 people in India
Creature took one last swing at hunting party after being shot at point-blank range on the eve of World Elephant Day
India’s top hunter told on Saturday how he felled a rogue elephant which had killed 15 people in a series of attacks since March.
Nawab Shafat Ali Khan said he shot the elephant late on Friday just hours after being called in by authorities. Saturday was World Elephant Day.
Khan said he shot the elephant at point-blank range, but before the animal fell it tried to swing its trunk at the hunting party, forcing him to fire a second time.
“If we had been hit by his trunk it could have been fatal. It was a dangerous operation,” Khan said of the hunt in Sahibganj district of the eastern state of Jharkhand.
The marauding elephant, believed to have lost its way after becoming separated from its herd, crushed four victims in Bihar state in March before crossing into neighbouring Jharkhand and killing 11 more.
The elephant’s behaviour – that he was stalking humans – is still a mystery
Jharkhand’s chief forest and wildlife conservator L.R. Singh said the decision to kill the elephant came after a week-long operation to try to tranquillise and capture the animal.