Elephant sanctuary to open in Odisha's Korada Forest Range

The Forest department is also mulling radio-collaring of elephants along with the usage of hi-tech gadgets to track the movement of elephant herds
For representational purposes.
For representational purposes.

BERHAMPUR:  The State Government has decided to establish an elephant sanctuary at Korada Forest Range area on Ganjam-Kandhamal border in a bid to reduce man-animal conflict.The Forest department is also mulling radio-collaring of elephants along with the usage of hi-tech gadgets to track the movement of elephant herds.A new infra range device too will be installed along the elephant corridor. It will capture the sound of pachyderms and alert people in nearby areas, said officials. 

The device will be developed by IIT-Bhubaneswar. Elephants usually communicate among themselves in infrasonic frequency which is below human beings’ audible frequency range. “We have approached the IIT-Bhubaneswar to develop a device that can detect such low frequency communication from a distance of 4 to 5 km,” said Phulbani DFO Laxmi Narayan Behera. 

He said setting up of an elephant sanctuary will help locals in the area and generate employment opportunities. It will also attract more tourists and help in overall development of the area. Though the Forest department has no data of elephants in Kandhamal district, it is estimated to be more than 40. 

“We have tracked the movement of a herd of 30 to 35 elephants in forests under Baliguda division and another herd of 10 elephants in Phulbani division. The elephants are moving near forests in Srirampur, Pinda Pipili, Durgapanga and Laseri under Kotagada range of Baliguda forest division, Jhiripani, Bilamala, Gumma and Belaghara under Belaghara range and Mundigada under Tumudibandha range,” Behera said. 

The elephants generally move from forests under Baliguda to Raikia division in Kandhamal and neighbouring Korada and Ghumsar divisions in Ganjam district which is known as elephant corridor. Similarly, elephants move from Boudh division to Ranipathar forest in Sudurukumpa range under Phulbani forest division. The presence of two male, two female and one baby elephant has been confirmed in Ranipathara area of Sudurukumpa.

Jumbo plan 
Radio collars to be fitted on elephants
A new infra range device will be developed by IIT-Bhubaneswar
It will help capture elephants’ sound and alert people in nearby areas

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