Bhubaneswar, March 24 A total of 325 wild animals, including a tiger, 11 leopards, and 14 elephants, were killed by poachers in Odisha over the past three years, state forest minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia told the Assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to a written question by BJD MLA Ramesh Chandra Behera, the minister said that 136 animals were poached in 2023-24, 79 in 2024-25, and 110 cases have been reported so far in 2025-26.
The animals that were killed also included 160 wild boars, 23 sambars, 31 deer, a bear, a king cobra, two pangolins, and 11 porcupines, he said.
During this period, forest officials registered 89,805 cases and seized 1,452 vehicles related to the smuggling of timber and other forest products.
The minister said that various measures, including anti-poaching camps, foot patrols, and the use of technology and artificial intelligence for early warning of forest fires, have been undertaken.
He added that steps such as deploying Gajasathis (anti-poaching teams), providing incentives to informants, forming joint task forces, coordinating with railway and energy departments, and conducting public awareness campaigns are being implemented to curb poaching.