Elephant strays near Air Force airstrip in Purnea

The district forest department said it suspected that the same elephant killed a 15-year-old boy in Araria on Thursday.

Neeraj, a local photographer, said, “The elephant dashed against the boundary wall and entered the airport. It was moving alongside the airbase wall, when locals spotted it and started shouting. The elephant then broke through the brick wall and entered the airbase.”

Purnea District Forest Officer BB Singh: “We have been trying to drive out or catch the elephant with the help of experts called in from Kolkata and Hyderabad. We are trying to keep it away from human habitation.”