A young man tragically lost his life in the forests of Ranchi, Jharkhand, after being attacked by an elephant while searching for the rare and expensive ‘Rugda’ mushroom. The victim, Gopen Uraon, was from the Chanho police station area. He was collecting the mushroom, which sells for around ₹1000 per kilogram. Gopen, along with his family, ventured into the Honhe Pakartoli forest near their village during heavy rainfall to gather the sought-after fungi. Overwhelmed by the abundance of Rugda he found, he failed to notice an approaching elephant. Before he could react, the elephant attacked, resulting in fatal injuries. His wife, Manita Uraon, and son, Akela Uraon, managed to escape. Forest department officials and local police recovered Gopen’s body and sent it for a post-mortem examination. Local residents reported that elephants have been frequenting the forest and attacking villagers. Rugda is a type of underground mushroom known for its delicious taste and nutritional value, including high protein, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin B. Its scarcity, available only during the monsoon season for about two months, contributes to its high market price.
