'928 elephants died unnaturally since 2009 including 565 due to electrocution alone'

Noida (UP): As many as 928 elephants have died since 2009 due to reasons like train accidents, poaching, or poisoning while electrocution alone caused over 60 per cent of these deaths, revealed a data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Since 2009 till December 31, 2018, 565 elephants have died due to electrocution, according to the data by the Project Elephant Division of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Another 151 elephants died to train accidents, while 150 were poached and killed, the ministry stated in a written response.

Poisoning too claimed the life of 62 elephants, the response added.

Noida-based lawyer Ranjan Tomar had sought an year-wise data from the ministry on the number of elephants who have died due to various reasons since 2009.

"The total budget outlay for financial year 2018-19 under centrally sponsored scheme 'Project Elephant' to protect elephants, their habitat and corridors, to address issues of non-elephant conflicts and welfare of captive elephants is Rs 30 crore, the RTI response stated.

However, the death figure of elephants due to poaching (150) differs from those of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).

The WCCB, responding to an RTI query from Tomar, had stated in January that 429 elephants have been poached

and killed since 2008 in the country.

Tomar, also a wildlife and rights activist, said the difference was probably because the Project Elephant figures are limited to reserves, while the WCCB data is for the entire country.

Project Elephant (PE) was launched by the government in 1992.