136 elephants died across Odisha in past 18 months: Minister in Assembly

A total of 136 elephants have died in Odisha over the past one and a half years due to various causes, with electrocution emerging as the leading cause behind it. Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia shared this information on Tuesday in his written reply to a query in the State Legislative Assembly.

Also Read: Odisha reported 888 elephant deaths in last 11 years, highest in current fiscal: Minister

According to the data presented in the House, four elephants were killed by poachers, while another four died due to retaliatory attacks by local villagers. Electrocution accounted for 42 deaths, and four elephants were killed after being hit by trains. Diseases claimed 31 lives, while another 31 died due to miscellaneous natural causes. The causes behind the deaths of 20 elephants still remain unclear.

The Forest Minister also informed that 92 individuals linked to various elephant-death cases have been arrested and chargesheeted. The Minister stated that all cases are being monitored regularly to ensure strict action and better wildlife protection.

Worth mentioning, Odisha had previously reported the death of about 888 elephants in the last 11 years before February 2025, with the maximum number of 97 cases registered till February 2025, the State Legislative Assembly was informed on March 21.

Disease, accident, poaching and electrocution were some of the reasons for elephant deaths in the State, the Forest Minister had said earlier in response to a query from BJP legislator Prasanta Kumar Jagadev.

According to the statistics then furnished by the Forest Minister, 158 elephants had been electrocuted to death between 2014-15 and 2024-25 (till February 2025), while poachers had killed 33 elephants. Similarly, 29 elephants had died after being hit by trains, eight died in road accidents, two died due to poisoning, and 16 were killed in a pre-planned manner.