BHUBANESWAR: The report of second elephant estimation undertaken by the Forest Department will be released by November 27, PCCF (Wildlife) Susanta Nanda said on Saturday.
The estimation was held between November 14 and 16 to assess the jumbo population using Odisha landscape. Considered to be the first winter count of the pachyderms, the three-day estimation was done in 2,030 census units across 48 divisions using more than 1,300 machans and multiple drones including thermal drones. The major highlight of the census was profiling of each herd and lone tuskers, Nanda said.
He said the Odisha Elephant Census 2024 report of the Forest and Environment Department, released in June, had pegged the total elephant population in the state at 2,098 which was 122 more than the previous count of 1,976 in 2017. The latest estimation is expected to increase the number by at least 50.
The state government carried out this estimation during winter as it coincides with migration of elephants from adjoining states in the kharif harvesting season. A herd of 121 elephants from neighbouring states, primarily West Bengal, has already entered the Baripada division in November first week, keeping forest officials on their toes.
Forest officials said the exercise is important as it would allow them to understand the exact number of these gentle giants using the state’s landscape, and devise a management plan accordingly to effectively deal with the conservation challenges. The PCCF had earlier said the current range of 2,000 to 2,100 elephants in the state is already 400 to 500 more than the actual size of the jumbo population the state can hold.
A study carried out by Prof Raman Sukumar of Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc-Bangalore in 2018 had revealed Odisha to be best suitable to hold around 1,600 to 1,700 elephants within the safe limit.