Wild Elephant Kills Family Members Again After 14 Years in Nepal's Chitwan National Park
A wild elephant named Dahorba, notorious for attacks in Nepal's Chitwan National Park, has killed two more members of the Botta family after 14 years. On a Saturday night, Dahorba broke into the home of Shnitsera Botta in the village of Jagatpur and killed his daughter-in-law Ashika Botta, 25, and his four-year-old grandson Baharat Botta. This tragedy follows the deaths of Shnitsera's parents, Bodhiram and Jeharly, who were trampled by the same elephant in 2012 near the park's outskirts.
After the 2012 incident, Shnitsera relocated his family across major rivers to Jagatpur, hoping to escape Dahorba's threat. Despite a government-ordered hunt and military efforts that wounded the elephant in 2012, Dahorba survived and reappeared in 2016. In 2023, a satellite collar was attached to monitor his movements, but local communities report gaps in the system's effectiveness. Dahorba's attacks typically peak during the autumn and winter harvest seasons when crops like rice and corn mature.
The Botta family home, a small and fragile structure housing nine people, was severely damaged during the attack. Shnitsera's wife, Mangali, managed to scare the elephant away by setting dry grass on fire, which also accidentally burned their house. Local residents protested by blocking the Rapti River bridge, blaming park authorities for negligence. Park officials have promised to confine Dahorba permanently to the Sukhaibahar forest area and upgrade tracking infrastructure to prevent further casualties.
Dahorba's history of aggression is linked to natural elephant behavior where dominant males expel young males, forcing them into solitary and sometimes hostile lives near human settlements. Since 2010, Dahorba has been responsible for at least 25 human deaths, including two military personnel assigned to anti-poaching and park security duties. The ongoing conflict highlights challenges in managing human-wildlife interactions in Nepal's conservation zones.
