Bhubaneswar, Sept 10: A staggering 1,154 people have lost their lives in elephant attacks in Odisha over the past decade, Odisha Minister for Forest, Environment, and Climate Change, Ganesh Ram SinghKhuntia, informed the Assembly on Tuesday. Responding to a question from BJP MLA Prashant Jagdev, Khuntia provided a detailed account of human casualties caused by elephants between 2013-14 and 2023-24.

"Elephants typically don’t intrude into human areas, but they do so near forest settlements in search of food or when separated from their herds. These encounters often result in fatalities and damage to property, including homes and agricultural land," Khuntia explained in his written reply.

He also reported that 719 elephants have died in Odisha over the past decade, with 41 of these deaths attributed to hunters or wildlife smugglers. The minister emphasized the need for better human-elephant conflict management and wildlife protection strategies to prevent further losses on both sides.

Powered by Froala Editor