Bhubaneswar: With Odisha government taking a serious note of unnatural death of elephants, the Forest department has started second census of the pachyderms in Keonjhar division for second time in the year.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Keonjhar DFO HD Dhanraj said total 82 teams have been deployed in seven ranges under the Forest division to carry out the counting of the elephants.
“The census teams comprise 246 Forest staff while each team consists of three personnel. The headcount of the elephants is carried out with binoculars, cameras and thermal drones to enhance accuracy and efficiency,” he said.
Besides the Forest personnel, experts, GIS professionals, biologists, and range officers have also been engaged in the census. Five final-year students from the Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT) are also part of the activity for the first time. The population of the elephants in the division at present is estimated to be 170 to 180, the DFO said.
He further said the census is being carried out to ascertain the exact number of elephant population and their health condition so that remedial steps could be taken.
Earlier, Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia had expressed concern over death of around 50 elephants this year in the state and ordered a detailed inquiry.