Odisha has witnessed a marginal increase in the population of elephants during the last seven years. As per the All Odisha Elephant Census-2024 report, 2,098 elephants were counted in 38 Forest Divisions.
It includes 313 adult tuskers, 13 adult makhna, 748 adult females, 148 sub-adult males, 282 sub-adult females, 209 juveniles and 385 calves. There was no presence of elephants in 13 Divisions.
Dhenkanal Forest Division, with 239 jumbos, reported the maximum number of elephants in the state.
Forest Department carried out the three-day census exercise in areas reporting elephant movements throughout the state from May 22 to 24 in 48 divisions across 28 districts of the state.
More than 5,700 Forest Department staff and several NGOs, research scholars, and academicians participated in the exercise.
(With inputs from agencies)
