An infamous rogue elephant terrorized a man and killed four members of his family over a 14-year span, despite their efforts to escape its attacks by relocating to a different area. Dhurbe, a wild elephant residing in Nepal’s Chitwan National Park, has gained notoriety for being responsible for the deaths of 25 people and the destruction of over 50 homes between 2009 and 2026. Labeled as a dangerous elephant, Dhurbe has been under a kill order for more than a decade.
Shanichara Bote, who tragically lost four family members to the serial killer elephant since 2012, seemed to be a particular target of Dhurbe’s aggression. Recounting his harrowing experiences to the Kathmandu Post, Mr. Bote mentioned his initial encounter with Dhurbe in 2012 when his parents were fatally trampled by the elephant in Madi, near the national park. Despite relocating his family to Jagatpur, nearly 20 miles away across the Rapti River, Dhurbe managed to track them down and brutally killed his daughter-in-law and grandson.
Struggling to comprehend the relentless pursuit of the elephant, Mr. Bote expressed his despair, stating that they felt trapped with nowhere to escape. The grief-stricken father emphasized the futility of their attempts to find safety, as Dhurbe relentlessly hunted them down even after crossing major rivers.
Besides Mr. Bote’s family, Dhurbe’s rampage has disrupted the lives of many others, with the elephant reportedly claiming the lives of 23 individuals prior to the recent tragic incident. Abinash Thapa Magar, a Chitwan National Park representative, confirmed that Dhurbe’s death toll now stands at 25 following the fatalities in Jagatpur. Efforts to monitor Dhurbe’s movements using a satellite tracking collar have not prevented the elephant from launching further attacks.
Despite the continuous tracking of Dhurbe’s location through a fitted collar, the device has not deterred the aggressive elephant from carrying out its deadly assaults.
