Bhubaneswar: Dhenkanal wildlife division has launched round-the-clock monitoring of seven identified errant tuskers, which are known for aggressive behaviour and potential threats to human life. Of the seven bull elephants currently under surveillance, one has been fitted with a radio collar to enable real-time tracking of its movement, while the remaining six are being monitored through direct sightings and ground-level intelligence since last month.“After identifying the elephants through prominent physical markers, we track them using regular elephant trackers and Gaja Sathis, who are village volunteers informing us about elephant movements,” Dhenkanal divisional forest officer Lalit Patra said.“The seven errant elephants have a history of attacking and trampling humans and damaging crops frequently and houses,” he said.“We keep records of each elephant to identify them if their aggressive behaviour harms people. They are identified by ear notches, tusk patterns, body scars, pigmentation and deformities,” Patra added.Detailed records are being maintained for each identified tusker to monitor its movements and behavioural patterns.Forest officials said that while elephants are naturally herd animals, aggressive bull elephants often exhibit solitary behaviour and are more likely to attack humans.The forest department has also mapped behavioural indicators such as response to human presence, preferred movement timings and whether the animals are active during the day or night.According to the 2024 elephant census, Odisha has 2103 elephants, with aggressive tuskers reported from Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bonai, Khurda and Chandaka forest divisions. Dhenkanal has the highest number of such elephants and their age ranges from 15 to 28.Dhenkanal is home to around 100 tuskers and 150 female elephants. Wildlife officials attribute the growing human-elephant conflict largely to shrinking habitats and increasing encroachment into elephant corridors.In a recent Assembly reply, forest minister Ganesh Ram SinghKhuntia informed that 431 people were killed and 457 houses completely damaged in elephant attacks across Odisha during the past three years. Officials said frequent elephant attacks continue to be reported from Dhenkanal, Angul, Athgarh, Baripada, Deogarh and Keonjhar, underscoring the need for constant vigilance and proactive conflict management.
