2098 Elephants in Odisha, 66 Pachyderms Died Last Yr, States Elephant Census

Bhubaneswar: There are a total of 2098 elephants in 38 Forest divisions of Odisha as compared to 1976 in the state in 2017, as per the elephant census report of the Odisha government. According to the report, the number of elephants has increased marginally by 122 in Odisha in the last seven years.

The census report also states that 66 elephants died in Odisha in the past year.

As per the report out of 2098 elephants, 474 are males, 1049 are females and 594 are calves.

Speaking to the media about the census, PCCF (Wildlife) Susanta Nanda said that a three-day census of elephants was conducted coinciding with a full moon night because elephants are more visible during those moonlit times. Special towers were erected for the enumeration of the wild elephants.

According to the PCCF, the number of existing elephants is quite normal as per the state’s retaining capacity.

In the last five years, 403 elephants have died for various reasons and the rate of mortality is 3-4 per cent annually, which is normal, he the PCCF said.

The forest department has decided to keep track of the elephants by using Artificial Intelligence in the forests of Angul and Dhenkanal in near future.

As in winter, elephants stray into Odisha from neighbouring states, another elephant census will be conducted from November 15 to 17 this year to know their number.