BHUBANESWAR: Odisha lost over 2,800 precious wild animals of different species including 430 elephants, four tigers and 31 leopards in the last five years, informed Forest and Environment Minister Pradip Kumar Amat on Tuesday.
Replying to a question from BJP member Kusum Tete, Amat informed the Assembly that a total of 2,817 wild animals were killed in different forest divisions across the state in the last five years between 2018-19 and 2022-23.
The cause of death of the animals was primarily diseases, electrocution, rail and road accidents, poaching and poisoning among others. As per statistics, while 639 wild animals died in 2018-19, 475 died in 2019-20. Similarly, the state recorded 586 wild animal deaths in 2020-21, 532 in 2021-22 and 585 in 2022-23.
The highest 231 wildlife deaths were recorded in the Dhenkanal forest division, followed by 220 in the Chilika wildlife division and 155 deaths in the Athagarh forest division. Angul, Balasore Wildlife, Ghumsar South, Keonjhar and Mangrove Wildlife Division (Rajnagar) also recorded the death of over 100 wildlife animals in the last five years.
In response to another question, the minister informed the House that a little over 40 per cent of sanctioned posts of the Forest department are lying vacant in the state. As per statistics, of the total 12,621 sanctioned posts in the department, 5,058, around 40.07 per cent, are lying vacant.