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Dhurbe
Male elephant that killed 16 people in Nepal and India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Dhurbe (Nepali: धुर्बे) is a wild male elephant in Chitwan National Park of Nepal that killed 16 people and destroyed more than 50 houses in a span of four years from 2009 to 2012. It is considered one of the most notorious elephant in the world. Contact with the elephant was lost in 2013 but it has subsequently reappeared from time to time.[1][2] The elephant is named after a soldier whom it killed.[3]
After the initial attacks, the elephant was radio-collared to track its movements, but the radio stopped working after a few weeks. When the elephant killed more people in 2012 officials declared it as a mad elephant and decided to hunt and kill it. 93 soldiers from the Nepal Army and Chitwan National Parks were mobilized to kill the elephant but they could not locate it.[4] Later, the officials claimed that Dhurbe was injured but ran away and survived.[5]
Dhurbe next appeared in 2018. It broke into the army post of Chitwan National Park at Tirthamankali and took a female elephant with him. At the same time, Dhurbe attacked and injured a male elephant named Paras Gaj. In 2020, Dhurbe was radio collared again to track its movement.[6] In April 2021, Dhurbe attacked a survey team who were counting rhinos. There were no serious casualties, but the survey was disrupted.[6] In October 2021, he reappeared and was accompanied by a female elephant.[1] In December 2023, in Chitwan National Park, a radio transmitter was installed in its collar for the third time.[7]
In January 2024, Dhurbe was again reported to be terrorizing local homes near Chitwan National Park.[8] In September 2025, the elephant again demolished local homes. Although no human casualties were reported, the incident caused significant property damage and renewed concerns over human–wildlife conflict in the region.[9]
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Popular culture
The Dhurbe elephant has become a widely recognized figure in Nepalese media. Local newspapers and television channels have repeatedly reported on its activities since the early 2010s, often portraying it as both a threat and a symbol of the challenges of human–wildlife coexistence.[10] The elephant has also been referenced in local folklore and conversations as a notorious character, making it one of the most infamous wild elephants in modern Nepal.[11]
A 2014 documentary titled Mahout – The Great Elephant Walk in Nepal was released, focusing on elephants and their mahouts in the southern plains of Nepal. While the film does not specifically feature Dhurbe, it highlights the cultural importance of elephants and the traditions of elephant keeping in the region, providing context for the broader human–elephant relationship in which Dhurbe’s story is situated.[12]
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