Balasore: With the death of as many as eight elephants within a year, Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary here in northern Odisha has turned into a deathtrap for the pachyderms.
Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary under Balasore forest division is spread over 272.75 sq km of area extending from Nilagiri to Oupada block in this district. Wild animals of various species live in this reserve forest which is also termed as a paradise for the elephants.
Earlier deemed as a safe and secure zone, Kuldiha has proved to be a deathtrap for the pachyderms. While 20 elephants have died in the sanctuary in the last five years, eight elephants perished within a year from April 2022 to April 2023.
The wildlife sanctuary has become extremely unsafe for the animals making them exposed to a host of threats. They often face problems due to food scarcity in the jungle while the rise in temperatures due to frequent forest fires threatens their existence. Feeling threatened, wild animals often run for their lives and stray into human habitats. The jumbo deaths have sparked concern among environmentalists, nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts while the Forest Department is claiming that elephant population in the sanctuary is on the rise.
According to reports from the Forest Department, the 2017 elephant census estimated 97 elephants living in Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary. Among them, 19 were tuskers, 51 female elephants and 27 calves. On the other hand, 20 elephants have died under Balasore forest division between 2018 and 2023. One elephant died in 2018, five in 2019, two in 2020, four in 2021 and six in 2022 while two have died so far in 2023. The last elephant census was conducted in 2017 while no enumeration of the pachyderms has been carried out during the last six years.
The Forest department is now clueless about the exact number of elephants living in the reserve forest. An environmentalist Prasant Padhi said acute shortage of water as well as food is leading to dehydration among the mammals which is the major cause behind their death.
Moreover, the rise in atmospheric temperature due to frequent forest fires is disturbing the environment following which the animals fail to cope and succumb to the heat. The threat posed by poachers is another reason behind their dwindling numbers. He said that forest officials should remain cautious about these threats and create favorable condition for the animals to survive and grow. They should also control the rampant poaching and take stringent action against the poachers.
When contacted, Balasore DFO Khuswant Singh said that the elephants have died a natural death. He said most of the elephants are dying owing to infighting in the herds, deterioration in jumbos’ health conditions, failure to cope with the changing environment and old-age-related problems.
He said that various steps are being taken to create natural and favourable habitats for the elephants and arrangement are being made for their food inside the sanctuary.
Similarly, steps are being taken for their protection and safety by involving the panchayat representatives and local residents while posters and banners highlighting the importance of elephants are being installed in the nearby villages, he added.
PNN