Evidence has been noted regarding the migration of elephants from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh into Odisha
OdishaPlus Bureau
The All Odisha Elephant Census 2024 (winter) has disclosed that the current population of elephants in Odisha stands at 2,103, comprising 474 males and 1,030 females. This information was made public by the state forest department after the inaugural winter census carried out in November.
The census, which took place over a span of three days from November 14 to 16 across 48 forest and wildlife divisions, also underscored notable inter-state migrations of elephants, especially from Jharkhand and West Bengal, during the winter months.
Evidence has been noted regarding the migration of elephants from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh into Odisha. The most recent census data indicated that there were no significant fluctuations in the overall population when compared to the summer census conducted in May, which recorded a total of 2,098 elephants. Nonetheless, a change in the gender ratio has been observed. The current male-to-female-to-young ratio is 1:1.83:1.08, in contrast to the May figures of 1:2.17:1.25. The census report attributes this alteration to an increase in the number of males within the sub-adult category.
The most recent statistics indicate that Odisha is home to a total of 334 adult tuskers, 12 adult makhanas, 678 adult females, 186 sub-adult tuskers, four sub-adult makhanas, 181 juveniles, and 403 calves within its elephant population. Furthermore, the census has recorded a notable increase in elephant numbers across various divisions, including Rourkela, Sambalpur, Athamallik, Ghumsur North, Kalahandi North, Kalahandi South, Bolangir, and Rairakhol.
A decrease in elephant populations was noted in regions such as Similipal North, Satkosia Wildlife, Bamra Wildlife, and Rayagada divisions. The forest department attributed these fluctuations to the seasonal movements of elephants between divisions and states during the winter months.
The Dhenkanal division reported the highest number of elephants, totaling 291, followed by Keonjhar with 160, Athagarh with 124, Deogarh with 123, and Angul with 117.
In contrast, no signs of elephant activity were detected in 13 divisions, which included Chilika (Wildlife), Ghumsur South, Koraput, Jeypore, Nabarangpur, and Malkangiri located in the southern part of the region.
The report further emphasized that the elephant population in Odisha is now firmly established, exhibiting a typical age distribution. However, there were 48 reported elephant fatalities between the summer census conducted in May and the winter census in November.
Given the increasing incidence of elephant deaths, forest officials stressed the significance of the census. This process is essential for accurately gauging the population and movement patterns of elephants in Odisha, which are vital for evaluating the human-elephant conflict situation during the peak harvesting period.
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