Bhubaneswar: Odisha had been witnessing 80 elephant deaths on an average every year since 2016-17.
While replying to a question raised by Jatni MLA Suresh Routray, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha told the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday that 406 elephants had died between 2016-17 and 2020-21.
Amid the growing conflict with humans following rapid urbanization, mining and industry, expansion of linear infrastructure and fragmented habitats, one jumbo death is being reported in the state almost every fourth day.
Accidents claimed the lives of 162 pachyderms with electrocution leading to the highest of 54 deaths, followed by 14 being mowed down by trains. While four were killed in road accidents, 90 lost their lives due to other reasons.
Eleven jumbos were killed by poachers, Arukha added.
Notably, Odisha had seen 282 elephants deaths from 2018 through August 31, 2021. Between 2018-19 and the first five months of 2021, one jumbo died almost every five days in the state.
The highest number of elephant deaths (93) took place in 2018-19, followed by 82 in 2019-20, 77 in 2020-21 and 30 till the end of August this year. Anthrax and other diseases claimed 95 elephant lives.
According to the last census of 2017, the eastern state had 1,976 elephants.
To an unstarred question by BJD MLA from Khandapada Soumya Ranjan Patnaik on the death of endangered species in the last five years, the minister informed that 802 wild animals, including tigers, elephants and endangered species, were hunted in different forests of the state, during this period.
A total of 3,248 poachers were also arrested in those years, he added.
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