Bhubaneswar: Odisha has recorded at least 55 tiger and 719 elephant fatalities in the last 10 years, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia reported to the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
The minister noted that the tigers perished for various reasons, including 25 deaths due to poaching.
Addressing BJP MLA Prasanta Jagadev’s query, the Minister revealed, “In the past 10 years, 48 leopards and 7 Royal Bengal Tigers have perished. Poachers have killed 25 tigers, while 4 succumbed to electrocution. Likewise, 5 tigers lost their lives in accidents, and 6 drowned in rivers.”
Furthermore, the Minister disclosed that about 719 elephants have died in the state over the same period. 41 elephants have been hunted by poachers while other elephants have died due to various reasons. On the contrary, 1145 people have died in elephant attacks in 10 years.
