65-year-old woman killed in wild elephant attack in Assam’s Kamrup

A 65-year-old woman was killed after being attacked by a wild elephant in Thengapara village under the Rani Forest Range of the East Kamrup Forest Division in Assam’s Kamrup district on October 3 morning, highlighting the continuing human-elephant conflict in the Rani area and prompting fresh concerns among residents over repeated elephant incursions into human settlements.

The deceased, identified as Alani Rabha (65), was attacked at around 5 am after a wild elephant, which had been moving through Garopara and adjoining areas since Wednesday night, entered the residential locality.

According to Alani’s husband, Madan Rabha (75), a large wild elephant was moving through the paddy fields towards their house in the early hours of Friday. Fearing an attack, Alani ran towards the house of their neighbour, Samudra Rabha (37), while Madan hid behind his house.

The elephant initially crossed the couple’s courtyard and moved towards the road leading to the forest. It then reportedly turned around and charged towards Alani, who was standing in Samudra Rabha’s courtyard.

Alani attempted to flee but fell to the ground after running some distance. The elephant allegedly struck her repeatedly with its trunk and dragged her towards the entrance of the courtyard before attacking her again. The animal moved away after neighbours raised an alarm.

Alani sustained critical injuries and was rushed by her family members to the Rani Community Health Centre, where she received primary treatment. She was subsequently referred to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment but succumbed to her injuries while being taken to Guwahati.

The elephant had reportedly been roaming in Garopara and neighbouring areas since Wednesday night. At around 3 am, it allegedly entered the granary of Paresh Rabha (75), damaged the structure, pulled out a sack of paddy and consumed the grain while moving along the road.

Several villagers reportedly came out and attempted to drive the elephant away. However, the animal allegedly charged towards people whenever they raised an alarm. It later entered the premises of Prabin Rabha at Challi, where it reportedly damaged another house before moving towards Thengapara.

The incident has triggered resentment among local residents, who alleged that repeated elephant incursions into villages and agricultural areas have not been adequately addressed.

Residents said elephants frequently enter settlements, particularly at night, damaging houses, granaries and crops and posing a threat to people living in areas close to forested stretches.

“People are living in constant fear whenever elephants enter the village. We have repeatedly informed the authorities about elephant movement, but the problem continues. Now an elderly woman has lost her life,” a local resident said.

Another resident alleged that villagers are often forced to come out at night to drive elephants away despite the risks involved.

“The elephants keep coming into the villages. People are forced to come out at night and try to drive them away at great risk to their own lives. This cannot continue,” he said.

Residents have sought immediate intervention from the forest department, the local MLA and the district administration to prevent further casualties and minimise damage to property. They also demanded stronger preventive measures in areas regularly frequented by elephants and better protection for communities living near forested areas.

Locals said merely driving elephants back after they enter a village does not address the recurring problem. They urged the authorities to identify elephant movement routes and vulnerable locations and undertake preventive measures before the animals reach densely populated areas.

The death of Alani Rabha has brought renewed attention to the recurring human-elephant conflict in Rani under Palasbari LAC, with residents expressing concern over the possibility of further casualties unless sustained measures are taken to reduce encounters between wild elephants and people.