Bhubaneswar, May 25: As many as 45 elephants were found in four ranges of Chandaka elephant sanctuary during the three-day census that concluded on Friday.
Highest 21 elephants were spotted in Damapada range while the census teams found three elephants in Chandaka , six in Haladia and 15 in Bhubaneswar (Bharatpur).
The Chandaka elephant sanctuary is home to 17 female elephants, 11 tuskers, 14 calves and 3 makhnas.
Notably, 182 elephants were spotted in the Chandaka forest in 1983 following which then Chief Minister late Janaki Ballah Patnaik announced it an elephant sanctuary.
The elephant count reduced to 67 in 2007 census. Shockingly, the number further reduced to 23 in 2010.
In 2012 census, 24 elephants were found in the sanctuary that reduced to 8 in 2015 and to shockingly only one elephant was in 2017 census.
The forest department conducted the elephant census in the state from Wednesday after a gap of seven years.
The last jumbo census was conducted in the state way back in 2017. At that time, the head count revealed presence of 1,976 elephants in Odisha forests. Earlier, the 2015 census had found 1,954 elephants in the state.
