Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s elephant population has remained largely stable, but the State is facing a growing challenge in providing enough habitat for the animals and reducing human-elephant conflict.
The 2024 summer elephant census recorded 2,098 elephants in Odisha. The number increased slightly to 2,103 during the winter census, indicating that the State’s elephant population has remained stable. However, scientific studies suggest that Odisha’s forests can support only around 1,700 to 1,800 elephants. The gap between the estimated habitat capacity and the actual elephant population is putting increasing pressure on forest habitats and forcing elephants to move closer to human settlements in search of food and water.
The result has been a rise in human-elephant conflict across the state. Between 2020 and 2026, as many as 906 people have died in elephant-related incidents, while 513 elephants have also lost their lives during the same period.
On World Elephant Day, the situation highlights a key challenge for Odisha- protecting a stable elephant population while ensuring enough safe habitat for the animals and reducing risks to people living near forests.
The state government has prepared an elephant conservation and management policy aimed at maintaining the elephant population within the ecological capacity of its habitats and reducing conflict. Three elephant reserves have been notified in Mayurbhanj, Mahanadi and Sambalpur, while 11 major elephant corridors are being protected to facilitate the safe movement of elephants.
Electric shock remains one of the major causes of elephant deaths in Odisha. Authorities have identified preventable risks and are accelerating the modernisation of electricity infrastructure in vulnerable areas.
The government has also increased compensation to Rs 10 lakh in cases of human deaths caused by elephant attacks. Despite these measures, frequent reports of elephants entering villages and other human settlements show that conflict remains a major challenge.
Elephants are currently found in 25 districts of Odisha and have been identified as a priority species for biodiversity conservation. Following directions from the High Court, the state has developed a broader policy framework for elephant conservation and management.
Under the plan, elephant habitats have been divided into four management areas. The approach combines scientific methods, modern technology and community participation, with the broader objective of promoting human-elephant coexistence, reducing conflict and ensuring long-term ecological sustainability.
Technology is also playing an increasing role in elephant management. According to a Forest Department official, systems such as the HAWK portal for wildlife crime monitoring, ‘Prahar’ for field-level monitoring, the Integrated Wildlife Management System and ‘Anukampa 2.0’ for compensation payments are being used.
Authorities are also using AI-enabled towers, early warning systems, thermal drones, radio collars and mobile alerts to track elephant movement and warn communities about approaching herds. The focus is increasingly shifting from responding to conflict after it occurs to preventing encounters in advance.
The Forest Department is also working to improve elephant habitats by planting bamboo and fruit-bearing trees, creating artificial water bodies and strengthening wildlife healthcare and rescue facilities. The figures, however, underline that conservation cannot be measured only by the number of elephants. For Odisha, the larger task is to ensure that elephants have sufficient and connected habitats while people living around forests remain safe.