Update: Notorious Elephant ‘Dhruve’ Confirmed Behind Fatal Chitwan Attack That Killed Mother and Son

Authorities have confirmed that the wild elephant responsible for the fatal attack that killed a mother and her four-year-old son in Bharatpur Metropolitan City on Saturday night was the notorious bull elephant Dhruve, one of the most feared elephants in Chitwan National Park.

The victims, 21-year-old Ashika Bote and her 4-year-old son, Bharat Bote, were killed after the elephant attacked their home in Belhatta, Ward No. 23. Following the incident, Dhruve reportedly returned to the Sukhibhar area of Chitwan National Park.

According to Ward No. 23 Chairperson Deepak Dawadi, Ashika’s husband attempted to scare the elephant away by lighting a fire. However, the flames spread, destroying the family’s house during the incident.

The latest attack raises Dhruve’s confirmed death toll to 25 people, making it the deadliest wild elephant recorded in Chitwan National Park. The elephant had not been linked to a fatal human attack for nearly nine years, with its last confirmed killing reported in 2017, when it fatally attacked a Nepal Army major.

Dhruve has a long history of deadly encounters with people. Between 2010 and 2012, the elephant killed at least 15 people, particularly in the Madi area, prompting authorities to issue an order to shoot the animal in late 2012. Despite repeated attempts by the Nepal Army, Dhruve escaped and later disappeared for nearly five years before reappearing in the Sukhibhar region of the park.

Wildlife officials have since fitted the elephant with a radio tracking collar several times and trimmed its tusks after sedating it with tranquilizer darts. It was also treated with medication intended to reduce aggression during musth.

Although Dhruve had appeared relatively calm in recent months, park officials say it occasionally leaves the forest and enters nearby settlements. A few months ago, the elephant was involved in a confrontation with another dominant wild bull elephant, Ronaldo, near Sauraha before returning to its usual range in the Sukhibhar area.

Authorities have pledged to strengthen measures to prevent further human-elephant conflict following the latest tragedy.