Bhubaneswar: The elephant population in the state has increased from 1976 counted in 2017 to 2098, as per the latest elephant census report released today.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife, Susanta Nanda has released the report of All Odisha Elephant Census-2024 here at the State Wildlife Headquarters.
Shri Nanda has been instrumental in organizing a scientific census on elephants in 2024.
During the last seven years, the elephant population rose by 122 in the State due to proactive steps taken by the wildlife wing.
The estimation was conducted from May 22 to 24 following the traditional method of count by direct sighting. A total of 1214 machans were constructed in 1905 census units across the state. More than 5700 persons were engaged in the census exercise, Nanda said.
Besides, wildlife enthusiasts, NGOs, research scholars, academicians have also participated in the census in addition to regular field staff and squad members.
During the census, a total of 2098 elephants including 313 adult tuskers, 13 adult makhna, 748 adult female, 148 sub-adult male, 282 sub-adult female, 209 juvenile and 385 calfs were counted in 48 forest divisions across 28 districts, the PCCF Shri Nanda said.
During the last elephant census conducted in 2017, there were 1976 jumbos which comprises 212 adult tuskers, 10 adult makhna, 816 adult cow, 122 sub-adult male, 276 sub-adult female, 38 of unknown sex, 203 juvenile and 299 calf, he said.
Significant increase in the number is noticed in few divisions like Angul, Athgarh, Dhenkanal, Baripada, Chandaka, Khurda, Bonai and Keonjhar whereas decrease in number noticed in Similipal North, Similipal South, Balasore, Rairangpur, Bolangir and Parlakhemundi forest divisions.
Significant change in movement pattern of elephants is noticed in Angul, Rourkela and Baripada circles. However, no elephant was cited in 13 divisions, he said.
There has been a substantial increase in the population of tuskers to the extent of 40 percent during the last seven years. This has resulted in a healthy ratio of adult male to females and also a significant number of young ones in the entire population, the PCCF Wildlife said.
Elephants of interstate movement with Jharkhand and West Bengal have been included in the census; only the elephants present during the census in Odisha.
A total of 584 elephants were counted in three elephant reserves which is about 28 percent of the total elephant population of the State. Odisha now have a large, well established elephant population with a stable age distribution with a growth rate of around 3 percent, the Chief Wildlife Warden stated.
Shri Nanda further informed that the wild elephant deaths during the last five years have been within the range of 3 to 4.5 percent of the total population, the least being during the last financial year of 2023-24.
It is estimated that 2100-2200 elephants use the Odisha forest during a year, as there is interstate migration from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. To know the maximum population using Odisha’s landscape, another estimation is proposed to be carried out during 14 to 16 of November this year, coinciding with the migration from adjoining states during the kharif harvesting, he informed.