Odisha Govt To Tag Elephants With Radio Collars To Prevent Loss Of Lives

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to check man-elephant conflict, the Odisha government plans to adopt a multi-pronged strategy including tagging elephants with radio collars.

Speaking to media persons on Monday, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Sushil Kumar Popli said the government will introduce tagging of radio collars under its ‘Gajabandhu’ programme to prevent man-elephant conflict in the state.

The Forest department has signed an agreement with Asian Nature Conservation Foundation of Bengaluru-based Institute of Physics for radio collar scheme. On a pilot basis, 3 elephants will be tagged with the radio collars.

“The radio collar scheme is already implemented in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Forest department can detect the movement of elephant herd from the real time data obtained from radio collars. It can help the Forest officials to take immediate steps to prevent the elephant herd from straying into human habitation. If the pilot poroject will be successful, it will be extended to entire state,” Popli said.

He further said already 1200 villages have been brought under Gajabandhu programme last year. The department aims at covering 2,000 more villages this year. Under the programme, 5 persons from each village are appointed as volunteers to inform the department about movement of the elephants.

Besides, the government would set up solar power fences in Bantal of Angul district which has been identified as most prone to man-elephant conflict. Already 43 villages have been identified for the purpose, the PCCF said.