Bhubaneswar, March 17 Odisha Minister of Forests, Environment and Climate Change, Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, on Tuesday informed the assembly that 344 wild elephants have died in the state due to various reasons, including poaching and accidents, from April 2022 to March 10, 2026.
In a written reply to a query from MLA Pradip Kumar Dishari, the minister said that 23 elephants were killed by poachers and 15 died due to accidents during this period.
A maximum of 53 elephant deaths were reported in the Dhenkanal district, followed by Keonjhar (42), Mayurbhanj (39), Angul (39), Cuttack (37), Sambalpur (25) and Sundargarh (21), he said.
While 93 elephants were killed during the financial year 2022-23, 66 elephant deaths were reported in 2023-24 and another 105 were killed in 2024-25, he added.
Besides, 80 elephants have died in various parts of Odisha during the current financial year (till March 10).
Informing the assembly about the measures taken for protecting the wild animal, the minister said that the government has set up anti-poaching camps, foot patrols are being conducted, and the movement of wild animals and poachers is being monitored through the use of artificial intelligence in different forest divisions.
Other measures such as deployment of anti-predation/anti-poaching squads, provision of incentives for informants, formation of joint task force, and coordination meetings with the railways, energy, and fisheries and animal resources departments, online distribution of compensation, and widespread public awareness have also been taken, he added.