1145 Killed In Elephant Attacks In Last 10 Years: Forest Minister Ganeshram Sing Khuntia

Bhubaneswar, Sept 10: Elephant attacks have taken a staggering 1,145 lives in past 10 years, said Ganeshram Sing Khuntia, Minister of Forest, Environment & Climate Change.

Responding to a question by BJP MLA Prashant Jagdev, the Forest Minister has shared a small data Tuesday in the ongoing budget session of 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly.

"As many as 1,145 human lives have been compromised due to elephant attacks in last decade -- from 2013-14 to 2023-24," the Forest Minister Ganeshram Sing Khuntia presented a written answer to Jagdev's question in the House.

Usually, elephants don't come to human territory. However, they do enter villages, near forest areas, in search of food or after getting separated from their herds. These instances lead to loss of human lives as well as loss of properties, including houses and agricultural fields.

Ganeshram Sing Khuntia also shared the data of elephants' deaths. "As many as 719 elephants have died due to various reasons the past decade, including 41 elephants being killed by hunters or wildlife smugglers," revealed the Forest Minister Sing Khuntia.

Responding to a question by BJP MLA Prashant Jagdev, the Forest Minister has shared a small data Tuesday in the ongoing budget session of 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly