10 ‘rogue’ elephants radio-collared to track movements
Bhubaneswar: In an effort to check man-animal conflict, the state has identified 10 elephants with behavioural issues in different landscapes and have radio-collared them to track their movements.
These elephants, also called young bull elephants, have been identified by the wildlife wing over the years with an aim to prevent possible conflicts and to take pre-emptive action in case it is found that the animal has strayed into human habitation.
“We analysed the elephants based on their past behaviour, crop and property damaged, and attack on humans. Radio-collaring them helped keep an eye on them through GPS signals. There are dedicated personnel manning the control room to watch the elephants’ movements,” chief wildlife warden Prem Kumar Jha said.
Though elephants are known to move in a herd, the aggressive bull elephants show solitary behaviour and have been seen to attack humans. “After identifying the elephants by taking prominent markers such as ear notches, tusk pattern, body scar, pigmentation and deformities, they are tranquilised and radio-collared. Thereafter, they are released,” Jha explained.
Last year, the elephant census pegged the state’s population at 2,098. Out of this, elephants with behavioural issues have been found in Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bonai, Khurda and Chandaka forest divisions. The age of these elephants ranges between 15 and 28 years.
“We mapped behaviour indicators to understand the elephants, such as their reaction to human presence and timing of movement, diurnal or nocturnal,” the top wildlife officer added.
The last census found 313 adult tuskers, 13 adult Makhna, 748 adult females, 148 sub-adult males, 282 sub-adult females, 209 juveniles, and 385 calves. Officials said elephant attacks on humans are quite frequent in Dhenkanal, Angul, Athgarh, Baripada (Mayurbhanj), Deogarh and Keonjhar divisions.
One of the major reasons for the conflict is shrinking elephant habitat, resulting in the animals straying into human habitation. In 2022, a female elephant killed a couple in the Jagatpur area of Cuttack city. The elephant was later tranquilised and radio-collared.
In a recent written reply in the assembly, forest minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia said in the past 10 years, 1,209 people have died in elephant attacks in the state. In the past decade, 888 elephants also died due to different causes. In 2024-25, 97 elephants died, out of which 32 were due to electrocution, while the causes of 19 deaths couldn’t be ascertained.
These elephants, also called young bull elephants, have been identified by the wildlife wing over the years with an aim to prevent possible conflicts and to take pre-emptive action in case it is found that the animal has strayed into human habitation.
“We analysed the elephants based on their past behaviour, crop and property damaged, and attack on humans. Radio-collaring them helped keep an eye on them through GPS signals. There are dedicated personnel manning the control room to watch the elephants’ movements,” chief wildlife warden Prem Kumar Jha said.
Though elephants are known to move in a herd, the aggressive bull elephants show solitary behaviour and have been seen to attack humans. “After identifying the elephants by taking prominent markers such as ear notches, tusk pattern, body scar, pigmentation and deformities, they are tranquilised and radio-collared. Thereafter, they are released,” Jha explained.
Last year, the elephant census pegged the state’s population at 2,098. Out of this, elephants with behavioural issues have been found in Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bonai, Khurda and Chandaka forest divisions. The age of these elephants ranges between 15 and 28 years.
“We mapped behaviour indicators to understand the elephants, such as their reaction to human presence and timing of movement, diurnal or nocturnal,” the top wildlife officer added.
The last census found 313 adult tuskers, 13 adult Makhna, 748 adult females, 148 sub-adult males, 282 sub-adult females, 209 juveniles, and 385 calves. Officials said elephant attacks on humans are quite frequent in Dhenkanal, Angul, Athgarh, Baripada (Mayurbhanj), Deogarh and Keonjhar divisions.
One of the major reasons for the conflict is shrinking elephant habitat, resulting in the animals straying into human habitation. In 2022, a female elephant killed a couple in the Jagatpur area of Cuttack city. The elephant was later tranquilised and radio-collared.
In a recent written reply in the assembly, forest minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia said in the past 10 years, 1,209 people have died in elephant attacks in the state. In the past decade, 888 elephants also died due to different causes. In 2024-25, 97 elephants died, out of which 32 were due to electrocution, while the causes of 19 deaths couldn’t be ascertained.
