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| A herd of elephants at Nilgiri in Balasore. Telegraph picture |
Balasore, Aug. 19: Senior wildlife officials from Odisha, Jharkhand and Bengal will attend an inter-state meeting tomorrow in Tatanagar with a view to chalking out a strategy to combat elephant menace, especially due to migration of jumbos from the Dalma sanctuary of Jharkhand.
It has been noted that since 2007, every year the elephants’ annual migration from the Dalma sanctuary to Odisha via Bengal has been taking place in the months of November-December, coinciding with the paddy-harvesting period.
But this year, quite a few migratory jumbos entered the Odisha forests several times, deviating from their traditional migration time.
The animals reached the Kuldhia sanctuary of Balasore after staying some days in Mayurbhanj. Last month during their stay, the elephants not only caused damage to farmlands and houses, but also killed as many as seven persons.
The forest personnel had a very tough time in controlling the animals when they entered through the Rasgondiapur and Rairangpur end.
The state’s principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) S.S. Srivastav, regional chief conservator of forests in Baripada Anup Nayak and forest officers of Baripada, Rairangpur and Balasore divisions will attend the meeting.
Nayak said: “Elephants are long-ranging animals without having any particular boundary. Only thing is that it is time to understand reasons behind their migration from their parent sanctuary. Further, steps, needed to improve their habitats and corridors, will also be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting.”
“The focus will be on the measures needed to protect the pachyderms. Sharing of information regarding their movement during migration will also figure in the meeting,” he said.