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Keonjhar, July 1: The forest department claims that elephants are safe and secure in resource-rich Keonjhar district, but wildlife activists and nature conservationists refuse to buy it. The facts about the number of elephants across the district as per latest census contradict its claim. The forest department had conducted a census in 2012-13 which put their number at 73. But the recent census shows that the figure has come down to 47. The sharp decrease in elephant population in mineral-rich district has become a cause of concern for wildlife activists.
But the forest department has a different take on the issue. It has come out with an easy excuse that the exact number of jumbos is yet to be ascertained as the animals keep migrating to other districts and neighbouring states.
The recent census shows that the overall elephant population in the state has increased, over which the state government has expressed its happiness. But the fall in its population in Keonjhar has left the wildlife activists deeply worried. They believe that the reported deaths of elephants in recent years are the reason for decrease in its population.
In the last two years, six elephants have died and two were killed in areas under Keonjhar forest division. However, the number of elephant casualties may be more than what is officially known. Several wildlife activists claim that many casualties that happen deep in forest go unreported and do not come to the notice of the forest department.
As for elephant migration, elephants from neighbouring Jharkhand state and Mayurbhanj, Angul and Dhenkanal move about in Keonjhar, particularly from October to December. Paddy usually ripens in that period and elephants come in to feed on it.
Elephants from Jharkhand stray into Champua area by crossing Baitarani while those from Similipal area of Mayurbhanj cause mayhem in Patana range. In summer, the animals go back to their original habitats. In view of that, the elephant population is recorded more in that time. In 2014, the forest department counted elephants and put their number at 112. “In view of this, ascertaining the exact number of elephants in the district is not so easy, ” said Divisional Forest Officer, Rohit Kumar Lenka.
On the other hand, elephants have lost a vast swathe of their habitats in the district in the last 15 years because of rampant mining, tree felling and clearing of forests for developmental activities. Besides, loss of habitat and damage of their corridors, the pachyderms face shortage of fodder.In the last 15 years, the district has reported casualties of 98 elephants with 17 of them falling victim to electricity and 7 to train accidents.
Poaching has also taken a toll on its population. But many such cases do not come to the fore. There are instances of elephants being poached and later buried in the earth. In many cases, when elephants head for human habitations in search of fodder, there have been man-animals conflicts resulting casualties in both sides.
The government had earlier taken step to provide the much-needed protective shield to the elephants. It had conceived Baitarani Elephant Conservation project, in a vast area of 10,000 sq.kms in Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Angul and Sundargarh districts in a bid to give them free and safe movements for their healthy survival. But the project proposal has been the victim of bureaucratic apathy. Wildlife activists alleged that the project is not being executed to protect the interest of the mining lobby. Environmentalist Duskar Barik stated that a corridor named Karo-Karampada under Barbil range was earlier planned, but pushed to backburner to facilitate mining activities.
Social activist Hruday Ballabh Rout observed that elephants will find protection if the forest department takes proper care of natural forest and stop mining activities.
