Bhubaneswar: Wildlife encompasses a vast array of flora and fauna and both these elements play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of the planet, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on World Wildlife Day Sunday while urging state citizens to take an oath to work towards preservation of wildlife. Through his social media account, the CM said, “Let’s celebrate the diverse wildlife of Odisha and pledge to continue to safeguard our biodiversity for a sustainable future.”
As per All Odisha Tiger Estimation 2023-2024, the state’s tiger population rose to 30, recording 10 more tigers than two years ago. Similipal Tiger Reserve is home to 27 tigers and the state currently has eight cubs, which were not included in the tiger head count. “This growth has resulted from strict management actions and scientific conservation practices,” said an official. Home to a wide range of wildlife species, the government of Odisha is leaving no stones unturned in its efforts to protect the animals when poaching and man-animal conflicts have emerged as the main challenges facing these efforts. “Be it elephants, leopards and other animals, poaching tops the list of biggest threat to the wildlife animals in Odisha,” said an official of the Forest Environment and Climate Change department.
As many as 698 elephants have perished in the state in the past eight years, which works out to an annual average of 87. The majority of the deaths, during the period from 2015 to 2023, has been due to man-animal conflicts. “Distressed elephants are entering villages for food and water by crossing major highways. This is intensifying human-elephant conflict and has caused a staggering number of elephant deaths. Restoring degraded habitats with favored elephant plant species and creating waterholes in their habitats can prevent them from crossing treacherous roads,” Sangita Iyer Wildlife expert and founder of Voices for Asian Elephants said.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
