Odisha witnessed large scale inter-state movement of elephants in the current winter season with jumbos from Jharkhand and West Bengal migrating to the state, according to the All Odisha Elephant Census-2024 census report released on Thursday.

The census, which found a marginal increase in elephant population in the last eight months, however, observed that during the winter census, few elephants moved from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to Odisha.

The All Odisha Elephant Census-2024 conducted this winter to assess the seasonal inter-state and inter-division elephant movement pattern of jumbos during the peak crop harvesting season to keep tab on human-elephant conflict scenario in the State found a marginal increase in population of these animals.

The Census-2024 (winter) exercise has been carried out in the entire forest regions of Odisha in the elephant movement areas. The three days winter census exercise was undertaken from 14 November to 16 November in 48 divisions across 28 districts of the State.

As many as 2,103 elephants were counted in 38 Forest Divisions. These include 334 adult tuskers, 12 adult makhnas, 678 adult females, 186 sub-adult tuskers, 4 sub-adult makhnas, 305 sub-adult females, 181 juveniles and 403 calves. Evidence of elephant presence was not found in 13 divisions during this winter census.

Last elephant census was carried out in May when 2098 elephants were counted which included 313 adult tuskers, according to the census report.

The winter census was carried out in the entire forest regions of Odisha in the elephant movement areas. The three days winter census exercise was undertaken from 14 November to 16 November in 48 divisions across 28 districts of the State.

The three-day census exercise followed the traditional method of count by direct sighting. More than 6000 field staff, biologists, elephant squad persons were engaged in the census exercise. Besides, wildlife enthusiasts, NGOs, research scholars, academicians also participated in the census in addition to regular field staff and squad members. More than 50 drones were also engaged for this field exercise.

The Dhenkanal forest division with 291 elephants recorded the highest population followed by Keonjhar (160), Athgarh (124), Deogarh (123) and Angul (117).

Though there is a marginal increase in elephant population in the State during this winter census, there has been a significant increase in population in Dhenkanal, Deogarh, Rourkela, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Athamallik, Ghumsur North, Kalahandi North, Kalahandi South, Bolangir and Rairakhol divisions.

There was a decrease in elephant numbers in Similipal north wildlife division, Satkosia wildlife division, Bamra wildlife division and Rayagada forest division. The decrease might have been due to inter-division and interstate seasonal movement patterns of the elephants during winter months.

The male and female ratio has gone up this time as 536 males were counted against 983 female elephants. In the summer census, 474 males were counted as against 1030 female elephants. The change is due to an increase in the number of males in the sub-adult category in comparison to previous summer census and inter-state movement of adult tuskers and sub-adult tuskers.

Reiterating that the State is now enriched with a large, well established elephant population with a normal age distribution, the census report said 48 elephant death cases were reported between the Summer Census (May) and Winter census (November).