People feed a jumbo during Elephant Day celebrations at Godibari on Friday. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 4: The elephant enclosure inside the Nandankanan zoo is all set to become bigger.

Zoo director Sudarshan Panda revealed the expansion plans on the occasion of the Elephant Day today.

At present, the zoo has 10 acres to accommodate seven elephants. But from January, the jumbos will have 20 acres to themselves.

“The construction of expanded enclosure would be completed by January next year,” said Panda.

On the occasion of Elephant Day today, chief secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra said the state government had initiated a number of measures to prevent death of jumbos by electrocution.

“The government is also taking initiatives to develop an animal habitat,” he said.

To celebrate their special day, zoo elephants wore customised appliqué apparel, while forest officials also offered them bananas and coconuts.

Later, a cycle rally started from the zoo and ended in Godibari of Chandaka forest division. Forest officials also felicitated mahouts today.

At present, the Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary has 24 elephants.

“Though very few elephants were coming to the sanctuary in recent years. Good vegetation, along with abundance of water, has attracted a number of elephants to the sanctuary this year,” said a senior forest official.

The forest officials have also decided to intensify awareness drive in the hamlets surrounding the sanctuary so that villagers switch over from cultivation of paddy to other crops.

“Elephants target paddy fields. So, we are conducting awareness camps at the villages so that the local people take up cultivation of green chilly and capsicum,” said a forest official.

Extending over an area of 193km, the sanctuary has a number of tourist attractions, including Deras, Jhumka, Godibari, Kumarkhunti. The sanctuary also has 32 small hillocks that are known for the elephants.

Wildlife week

The horticulture unit of the Rourkela Steel Plant organised wildlife week at the town’s civic centre yesterday.

Students from various schools of Rourkela took part in the celebrations. A sand art on wildlife conservation by Pinaki Samal and his group was the highlight of yesterday’s event. A documentary film on man-elephant conflict was also screened.