Bhubaneswar: Although there has been an increase in the elephant population in Odisha, the state still accounts for many jumbo deaths years on. According to the All Odisha Elephant Census, 2024, pachyderm population in the state went up to 2,098 – an increase of 122 in the last seven years. However, as per reports, the state lost at least 27 elephants in three and half months – between April 1 and July 15 – this year due to a host of reasons, like electrocution, animal-human conflict and train hit, among others.
According to the data presented in the Parliament, elephant deaths were reported from 15 forest and wildlife divisions this year, with Angul witnessing the maximum fatalities of four jumbos during the period. Not just elephant deaths, as many as 1,701 humans in 16 states were killed by elephants from 2020-21 to 2023-24, and Odisha had recorded 148 such deaths in 2022-23 – the highest for the year in India, according to the data presented in the Parliament by the Union Environment ministry. Sangita Iyer, wildlife filmmaker and founder of Voices for Asian Elephants (VFAE) – an elephant conservation organisation that works for the safety of elephants in Odisha – said that the situation is very dire for elephants in the state despite a 6 per cent rise in their population. “Electrocution accounts for the maximum number of elephant deaths in Odisha. Poachers are still using high-voltage power supply to kill elephants,” she said. Iyer said to prevent human-elephant conflicts, VFAE, a California-based elephant conservation organisation, has planted over 50,000 fruit trees and dug seven large watering holes in partnership with local conservation group ‘Paribartan’ in Balasore and Angul districts that can support around 210 elephants.
Distressed elephants are entering villages for food and water by crossing major highways. This is intensifying human-elephant conflict and has caused a staggering number of elephant deaths, she said. “Restoring degraded habitats with favoured elephant plant species and creating waterholes in their habitats can prevent them from crossing treacherous roads,” she added. “Elephants are our protectors. If we can’t protect them it will hamper our civilization. On ‘World Elephant Day’ all stakeholders must work together, accept mistakes, and try to find solutions before it’s too late,” she added.
Talking to Orissa POST, Susanta Nanda, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), said that despite the rise in elephant numbers, Odisha doesn’t have the space required to accommodate a large jumbo population. “Anything between 1,700 and 1,800 jumbos is our capacity. Population management is necessary, otherwise the deaths and human-animal conflict will continue,” he said.
Nanda said elephant deaths during the last five years have been within the range of 3- 4.5% of the total population. “Death of elephants is a concern for us and we are taking measures to control it. We are planning to use Artificial intelligence (AI) to detect elephant movement. The trails will be conducted soon in Angul and Dhenkanal,” he added.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP