Bhubaneswar, 31 March (H.S.) : A total of 264 elephants have died in Odisha over the past three years, State Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia informed the Assembly.

Responding to a question raised by MLA Padma Lochan Panda, the Minister stated that of the total elephant deaths, 132 were due to natural causes while the remaining 132 resulted from unnatural causes.

The Minister further revealed that during the same period, 4 tigers, 25 leopards, and 1,426 other wild animals have also died across the state. Notably, 447 of these deaths were attributed to poaching, raising concerns over wildlife protection and enforcement measures.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda