Foresters are patrolling at night to drive elephants from human habitats on the foothills of the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary near here.

Herds of elephants are currently present near Chakulia, Bota and Bhadodih jungles.

In 2019, elephants killed 20 people in Kolhan. On January 6, a wild tusker trampled a seven-year-old girl to death in Jagannathpur, Chaibasa.

Foresters are making serious efforts to avoid more human-elephant conflicts. Dalma range officer (West) Dinesh Chandra said: “Elephants move at night. We have driven away two separate herds of 30 elephants, including calves, from the jungles of Chakulia (along NH-33) to Chandil. But, a herd of 32 jumbos is anchored at Bota jungles and 20 elephants are near Bhadodih.”

Chandra, who leads night patrolling, said they had handed over torches to village youths to drive herds but advised them not to hurl stones at the elephants.