29th April 2018


BHUBANESWAR: As many as 1,400 elephants have died unnatural deaths in Odisha since 1990. Of them, 591 elephants have died in the last eight years itself.

From an average mortality of 33 per year between 1990 to 2000, it grew to 46 per year between 2000 and 2010 but after that it has reached an alarming average of 73 elephants per year from 2010-11 to 2017-18.

If the rising death trend continues it spells doom for the species as it might significantly overtake the birth rate.

Sharing details about the precarious positions of the elephants in the state, members of Gajah Bandhu, a body of elephant protectors, said that out of the 591 elephant deaths since 2010, 207 (35 per cent) died due to unnatural reasons like poaching (95) and electrocution (87).

"Trains killed 23 elephants. However, barring suspension of few field staff, the department has miserably failed to take action against any senior officer. Two elephants died in road accidents and seven elephants have died falling into open wells. Since April 2015 (three years), 80 bodies were found in decomposed state," said Dr Biswajit Mohanty, Convenor, Gajah Bandhu.

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