Odisha Steps Up Safety Measures For Elephants After Kerala Incident

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the tragic death of a pregnant elephant after being fed with a pineapple stuffed with crackers in Malappuram in Kerala on May 27, the Odisha government has directed the Forest officials to ensure the safety of the elephants.

Briefing the media here on Thursday, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Chief Wildlife Warden Hari Shankar Upadhyay said senior Forest officials have been asked to closely monitor the movement of the elephants in the human habitations and alert the villagers.

Referring to the man-elephant conflict, he said while the habitat of the elephants has drastically shrunk, the people are not willing to tolerate their presence.

On the damage rendered by the elephants on human life and property, the PCCF assured the people of adequate compensation.