Keonjhar: As many as 121 elephants were found dead in Keonjhar district in past 22 years, Forest Department data shows.
With four cow elephants dying unnatural deaths in the last 20 days, rising cases of man-elephant conflict have been a cause of concern for the department, animal lovers and environmentalists alike.
Barring 2016-17, elephant deaths in Keonjhar forest division have been reported every year. From 2001-02 till August 11, 2021-22, the forest division reported 121 elephant deaths due to various reasons.
According to the information shared by the department, as many as eight elephants died in 2001-02. Similarly, 12, 3, 12, 3, 6, 6, 8, 4, 9, 4, 9, 4, 4, 6, 2, 3, 6, 7and 4 elephants lost their lives in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-2010, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 (till August 11, 2021) respectively.
There were only two elephant deaths in 2017-18. But since then, the number of fatalities is increasing, triggering resentment among animal lovers.
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According to them, there are many reasons responsible for these deaths. Due to rapid industrialisation, roads being laid through jungles, menace of timber mafia and encroachment of jungle areas, jumbos are losing their habitats. Their corridors are getting destroyed. So they get disoriented and roam aimlessly.
The shortage of food in jungles forces them to head towards human habitations, resulting in man-elephant conflicts. Sometimes, wildlife smugglers use electricity or firearm to kill these animals, for their tusks.
Disoriented elephants often lose lives in road and train accidents while crossing roads or railway lines.
In this regard, Keonjhar DFO Ajit Satpathy said the department is taking many steps for the safety of jumbos in the district. People are being made aware of the importance of having elephants in jungles and how they can keep a safe distance from elephants.
“If elephants come near human habitations, we immediately take steps to drive them away, keeping their safety and the safety of lives and properties of people in view. We always keep a tab on their movement. There are squads formed by the Forest Department to carry out these activities. Besides, the department also deploys its own staff. At the same time, legal actions are being taken against the poachers and wildlife smugglers,” he informed.
It may be mentioned here that August 12 is observed as World Elephant Day to help protect the world’s elephants and recognise their importance in biodiversity.
PNN
