ANGUL: Once home to over 200 elephants, Satkosia wildlife sanctuary houses about 20-25 jumbos at present, raising questions about the migration patterns of the long-ranging animals. Last year, the then forest and environment minister Bikram Arukha had informed the state Assembly that there were 234 elephants in Satkosia in 2015. But in the following years, the resident elephant population has dwindled.
Local wildlife activists said the elephant population is thinning in Satkosia due to the absence of enough bamboo, an important fodder of the pachyderms. Due to the lack of tender bamboo plants, the elephants are being attracted towards crops including seasonal mango and jackfruit in peripheral areas during the summers.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Satkosia Saroj Panda said elephants are migratory in nature. In the monsoon season, around 100 elephants are found in Satkosia. But after the monsoon, the pachyderms migrate to nearby districts in quest of food due to which the elephant count decreases in the sanctuary.
Elephant census is carried out in Satkosia in every two years. However, no survey has been conducted in the sanctuary since 2017. “We count the elephants through a monitoring system. During monsoon, the elephant population increases to nearly 100. After the pachyderms migrate, their population comes down to 20-25 in Satkosia,” said the DFO.
Panda, however, asserted that there is no lack of fodder and water in Satkosia. “The wildlife sanctuary has enough sources of food and water for elephants.” In fact, the recent all-India tiger estimate had pointed at improved management in the tiger park which has seen the re-emergence of meadows as well as herbivore population.
The DFO said he has no knowledge of the presence of such a large number of elephants in Satkosia in the past. “However, we will try to ascertain the reason behind the migrating elephant population in Satkosia,” he added.