Odisha Wildlife Facing a Deadly Threat: Poaching of Tigers and Leopards

Poaching has claimed the lives of two Royal Bengal Tigers and twelve leopards in Odisha over the past three years. The state government has seized six tiger skins and 63 leopard skins. Efforts are ongoing to protect wildlife through anti-poaching measures and technology-based tracking.

In a concerning revelation, Odisha's wildlife is under severe threat from poaching, as two Royal Bengal Tigers and twelve leopards have been killed in the past three years, according to a state minister's statement in the assembly.

The alarming data includes the seizure of skins from six Royal Bengal Tigers and 63 leopards, highlighting the gravity of the situation. Compounding the concern, the elephant census of 2024 showed 2,103 elephants, with 41 fatal cases reported in Dhenkanal.

State authorities are focusing on conservation efforts with various measures, including anti-poaching camps, forest patrolling, technology for tracking animal movements, and raising fodder plantations to safeguard the remaining wildlife population.

(With inputs from agencies.)