Odisha's Elephant Crisis: Alarming Death Toll Sparks Conservation Concerns

Between April 2024 and September 2025, Odisha witnessed the death of 136 wild elephants due to electrocution, disease, poaching, accidents, and natural causes. Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia revealed these statistics, highlighting ongoing human-elephant conflicts and the arrest of 92 individuals linked to these deaths.

In a troubling revelation, 136 wild elephants have died in Odisha over an 18-month period spanning from April 2024 to September 2025. The grim statistics were disclosed by Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia to the Assembly on Tuesday.

According to a response to Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati's inquiry, the minister detailed that 42 elephants succumbed due to electrocution, 31 fell to diseases, and another four were killed in train accidents. Additionally, 31 elephants perished from natural causes.

The minister further reported four instances of human-elephant conflict-related deaths and four cases of poaching. Efforts to tackle wildlife crime saw 92 arrests linked to elephant deaths, as cases continue to be closely monitored.

(With inputs from agencies.)