4 Oct 2019


Bhubaneswar: For Odisha’s fast dwindling wildlife, life continues to be stressful, fraught with risks, a daily struggle for food in a fast depleting habitat. In the last nine years and six months (since April,2010), 727 elephants have died of which, 257 elephants (more than 35 per cent,) have died due to unnatural causes – 113 to electrocution, 77 to poaching, 26 to poisoning, 26 to train accidents, five to road accidents and 10 after falling into manmade structures like open wells and irrigation projects.

The reasons for death could not be ascertained in 147 cases as carcasses are found in decomposed state and some just skeletal remains.

While tiger population has gone up in most Indian states, in Odisha, it has come down or remained static. In 2004, the state had claimed the presence of 192 tigers which came down to 28 in 2014.

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