Narinjara, 29 May, 2025 

A 74-year-old man from Upper Paddana (Thakma) Village in Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State, was killed by a wild elephant, as reported by local inhabitants. 

The individual who was killed after being trampled by a wild elephant is U San Kha Aung, 74, a member of the Dainet minority from Upper Paddana (Thakma) Village, in Buthidaung Township. 

On May 26, he was crushed by a wild elephant while hunting frogs at night close to Ngarant Chaung (Muslim) village alongside U Kyaw Saw Phyu and U Hla Maung Oo, both from the same village, and died instantly, U Hla Maung Oo, who was hunting with him, informed Narinjara. 

“The three of us were searching for frogs at night when we encountered an elephant at about 10 pm and fled. The team was also divided. He had taken a different path away from us. We were unaware of where he had gone. U Kyaw Saw Phyu and I also stayed overnight in (the Muslim village). In the morning, when we looked for him, we discovered his body crushed to death approximately 2 furlongs away from our location," he stated. 

The two friends traveling with U San Kha Aung spent the night in Ngarant Chaung (Muslim) village. Around 6am, they and the villagers discovered his body crushed to death. 

The wild elephant, which had one leg injured and without companion, was responsible for the deaths of around 10 individuals in Maungdaw Township, as reported by local Ngarant Chaung (Muslim) residents. 

"We have known about this wild elephant. This is the reason we have cautioned the villagers to avoid approaching the forest. Currently, one individual searching for a frog has been killed by an elephant. We Muslims also do not consume frogs. We also assisted the two individuals who fled after being pursued by an elephant. We searched for the missing individual in the morning and discovered his body," stated a village elder from Ngarant Chaung (Muslim). 

Reports indicate that approximately 10 local men and women from the villages of Upper Kantharyar, Bodhi Kone, Shwe Taung, Gan Chaung (Muslim), Aung Mingalar, Phawat Chaung, Taung Pyo Letwe, and the nearby villages, Thayar Kone, Bak Hla, and Tari in Maungdaw have been killed by a wild elephant. 

According to local residents, wild elephants are frequently spotted in the Mayu Mountains of Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Rathedaung Townships. 

Wild elephants frequently invade the rice fields cultivated by nearby villagers at night to feed, making farmers perpetually confront the danger posed by these elephants, which has even led to fatalities, according to local residents.