A notorious rogue elephant in Nepal has killed four members of the same family over a 14-year period, with the most recent attack occurring even after the family relocated to escape the animal. The elephant, known as Dhurbe, has a history of aggression and is responsible for at least 25 human deaths since 2010.
The latest incident saw Dhurbe attack the home of Shanichara Bote in Jagatpur, killing his 25-year-old daughter-in-law, Ashika Bote, and his 4-year-old grandson, Bharat Bote. This followed the death of Bote's parents, who were trampled by the same elephant in December 2012 in Madi, near Chitwan National Park.
After the initial deaths in 2012, Bote moved his family nine miles away to Jagatpur, across the Rapti River, believing the new location would offer safety. However, Dhurbe tracked them down and breached their home earlier this month.
Officials at Chitwan National Park confirmed the rising death toll attributed to Dhurbe. Abinash Thapa Magar, a representative for the park, stated that prior to the recent fatalities, Dhurbe had officially killed 23 people. The two additional deaths have now brought the confirmed total to 25.
Park officials have been monitoring Dhurbe's movements using a satellite tracking collar. Data indicated that the elephant's coordinates were logged directly around the perimeter of the Jagatpur incident site on July 4.
Efforts to stop Dhurbe have been ongoing. Following the 2012 attack that killed Bote's parents, 93 soldiers reportedly attempted to kill the elephant, shooting it twice, but it escaped. Dhurbe was fitted with a new tracking collar in 2020 after its initial one stopped functioning, and a third collar was put in place in 2023. The hourly pings from the collar have not prevented the animal from continuing its attacks.