Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, May 11: The state government is going to hold an elephant census from May 26 to May 28, principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) wildlife, SS Srivastav, said Monday.
This is regular practice with the state wildlife wing of the forest and environment department holding the census once in four years in all 45 forest divisions of the eight circles across the state, said Srivastav.
The state had recorded 1,930 elephants when the last census was held in June 2012, registering a healthy growth over the numbers of the 2010 census. This included 334 tuskers, 1,087 females, 463 calves and 46 of unknown sex, Srivastav said.
“The training of the regional chief conservators of forest (RCCF), district forest officers (DFOs), rangers and forest guards, who will carry out the census, has been completed,” he said.
“The final report on the census will be ready by the end of June,” he said.
As many as 1,848 teams of local forest guards and field level officials have been formed to conduct the census.
The elephants will be counted by direct sighting, footprints and elephant dung, Srivastav said.
Geo-reference of elephant herds will also be used to keep track of migrating groups. Their location at different places on the same day can thus be verified, he said.