Bhubaneswar: At least 325 wild animals, including a tiger, 11 leopards and 14 elephants, have been killed by poachers in Odisha over the past three years, Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia informed the Assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to a written query by BJD MLA Ramesh Chandra Behera, the minister said 136 cases of poaching were reported in 2023-24, followed by 79 in 2024-25, while 110 incidents have already been recorded in the ongoing 2025-26 fiscal.
The victims of poaching during this period included 160 wild boars, 23 sambars, 31 deer, one bear, a king cobra, two pangolins and 11 porcupines, apart from the big cats and elephants.
Singkhuntia further informed that enforcement agencies registered 89,805 cases related to illegal activities involving timber and other forest produce during the same period. As part of crackdowns, 1,452 vehicles used in such operations were seized.
Highlighting the government’s response, the minister said multiple preventive and enforcement measures have been intensified across the state. These include the establishment of anti-poaching camps, increased foot patrolling, and deployment of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence systems for early detection of forest fires.
He added that initiatives such as the engagement of “Gajasathis” for elephant monitoring, incentives for informants, joint task forces, coordination with railway and energy departments, and public awareness campaigns are also being implemented to check wildlife crimes.
