The stars of this natural show are the argan trees, indigenous to the Sous Valley. Their branches bear small, olive-like fruits rich in a sweet, nutritious pulp. When ground vegetation dwindles during the dry season, these resourceful goats climb up to 10 meters high. Their specialized hooves provide exceptional grip, enabling them to navigate the branches and reach the most succulent fruits. This behavior ensures their survival when other food sources are scarce.

The ecological significance extends beyond their diet. Each argan fruit contains a hard nut, housing the seed essential for new argan tree growth. Goats, unable to digest these nuts, often pass them through their digestive systems or drop them from the trees. These dispersed seeds are then given a chance to germinate in the challenging desert climate, effectively making the goats unintentional forest gardeners. Their actions are vital for the continued existence of these precious trees.

Local farmers recognize and utilize this symbiotic relationship. Following the goats’ arboreal feast, they gather the undigested nuts. These nuts are then processed to extract the highly valued argan oil, a product renowned globally for its culinary and cosmetic applications, originating from Morocco’s unique ecosystem.

Villagers reported that a herd of approximately 10 to 12 wild elephants had entered the village the previous night, damaging crops in the paddy fields. It is believed that the calf may have died due to being trampled by the herd.

Late Wednesday night, a herd of elephants arrived at the Railway Station Toli in Bakaspur village in the Jariagarh police station area. They destroyed a house, causing the death of Etwari Barla and her approximately 4-year-old son, Tulsi Barla, who were crushed under the debris. The deceased woman’s other daughter, about 8 years old, was seriously injured and has been admitted to a hospital for treatment by local residents.

Even after demolishing the house and causing two deaths, the elephants continued their rampage. They lifted an elderly woman sleeping outside another house in the village with their trunks and threw her down. Fortunately, the woman was not seriously injured and is safe.

According to reports, a herd of elephants reached the house of farmer Dodeya Barla, a resident of Railway Station Toli. They pushed and destroyed the wall of the house, trapping three people inside. Etwari Barla and her 4-year-old son, Tulsi Barla, died, while their 8-year-old daughter, Bandhani Barla, was seriously injured and admitted to Sadar Hospital in Khunti district for treatment.

**Anger in the Village**

The forest department team also provided financial assistance to the family of the deceased. However, there was considerable anger among the villagers due to the lack of concrete steps taken by the forest department to protect the villagers from the elephants.

**Four Deaths**

This is not the first incident of elephants killing villagers in Jharkhand. In March, a herd of elephants terrorized two villages in the Gumla and Simdega districts of Jharkhand, killing a total of four villagers in a single day. The deceased were identified as Christopher Ekka (60 years) and Hemvati Devi (30 years) from the Palakot police station area of Gumla district. The other two deceased were identified as Sibia Lugun and Vikas Ohdar, residents of the Bano police station area of Simdega district.

The IBCA highlighted that Nepal is home to snow leopards, tigers, and common leopards. Its inclusion in the IBCA is expected to strengthen global collaboration towards the conservation of these species. The IBCA has congratulated the Nepalese government on this step. Nepal’s tiger population nearly tripled to 355 by 2022 (according to the latest census), up from 121 in 2009.