By D N Singh
The two deaths of wild elephants in Keonjhar district early hours on Thursday due to electrocution, was yet another flash in the pan of the perishing of a heritage.
The sight of the deaths disturb all but not the cozy club of officials and the arm-chair wildlife activists.
Sadly, this would go as another incident of records of elephant deaths in the wilds of Odisha. Statements have been already issued and the ones responsible simply trade charges against each other.
That is all the routine stuff and few wildlife activists have already come out , as usually they do, to air their views from the position of arm-chair sympathizers playing the Santa roles.
The two female elephants which died the tragic deaths in the woods of Keonjhar district, a home for the pachyderms, have only added to the numbers of the past.
Scary Figures
More than 1,356 elephants have died due to various reasons in Odisha roughly from 2000-21 but just 20 deaths were reported in the above period, why?
One need not go far to find the reasons. Rapid shrinkage of forests and expanse of human habitats are the obvious reasons leading to such colossal deaths of wild elephants.
A RTI query reveals, as obtained from the chief wildlife warden of Odisha, 93 elephant deaths took place in 2018-19 preceding 86 in 2015-16 and 83 in 2010-11.
Figures only scare and in the light of the trend when wild elephants are on the run for life, only a serious and collective fusion of efforts can ameliorate the situation if not completely mitigate the problems.
Believe it or not 136 wild elephants were killed by poachers, of which 19 due to poisoning, 33 killed hit by speeding trains, 204 died in other accidents whereas, 206 due to electrocution, out of which 106 were just killed deliberately and 34 others due to natural reasons.
What is interesting and unfortunate that the wildlife office does not know the reason of another 176 elephant deaths. Reason was that the cases of deaths came to their knowledge post the putrefied carcasses were found. Â . The rest succumbed to infections — 51 died of anthrax, seven of herpes and 334 of other diseases.
On the self-satisfaction side, interdepartmental meetings, anti-poaching squads and anti-smuggling staff are being formed to prevent the elephant deaths and this is all what the media is able to know from the officials for public relations only.
Crores of rupees have been allotted for digging and fortification of trenches but at the end of the day the lack of maintenance render such trenches abandoned and reduce to simple passages. Â Â .
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