Two tigers killed by poachers in 3 years

Bhubaneswar: Poacher skilled two Royal Bengal Tigers and a dozen leopards in forest areas of Odisha in the past three years, a State minister said on Tuesday. In response to a query of BJD legislator Chakramani Kanhar in the Assembly, the minister also said the skin of six Royal Bengal Tigers and 63 leopards were seized during the period.

As per the elephant census conducted in 2024, a total of 2,103 jumbos are present in 38 forest divisions of Odisha, of which the highest of 291 elephants were found in Dhenkanal, said For-est, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia. The maximum num-ber of elephant deaths (41) was also reported from Dhenkanal forest division during the three years, he said.

According to the tiger census of 2023-24, a total of 30 big cats were found in Odisha, of which 27 were in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), he said. Singkhuntia said the National Tiger Con-servation Authority (NTCA) had conducted the last leopard census in Odisha in 2022, during which 568 leopards were found in the eastern State.

He also said for the protection of wild animals, the State government has taken several steps including establishment of anti-poaching camps, forest patrolling, tracking movement using technology and raising fodder plantations. The minister said between 2022-23 and 2024-25 (till now), a total of 103 wildlife crime cases have been registered in the STR, 255 poachers arrest-ed and 57 illegal guns seized.

The State government is taking special steps to protect the rich biodiversity and wildlife of Si-milipal, which has been included in the conservation initiative Project Tiger since 1973, he said. The Odisha government has set up 214 anti-poaching camps and temporary platforms in Simil-ipal Wildlife Sanctuary for prevention of poaching and other illegal encroachments, the minister said in a statement to the Assembly.

Khuntia said AI-enabled cameras, infrared cameras and trap cameras have been installed to monitor poachers and wildlife while a Similipal Special Tiger Protection Force (SSTPF) has been deployed to protect the flora and fauna. Modern weapons like INSAS, X-caliber rifles and automatic pistols have been provided to the forest officials to enhance security, he informed the House.

All villages, except one, inside Similipal have been relocated to provide adequate space for the growth and movement of wildlife, Khuntia said. Besides, a new tiger conservation plan has been approved for 10 years from 2023-24 to fortify the wildlife conservation in Similipal Tiger Reserve, he pointed out. A tiger migration scheme is being implemented to bring big cats from outside the State to increase their number in Similipal and improve their genes.