Odisha is a safe haven for poachers, says an environmental group

As many as 316 elephants have been killed by poaching in Odisha over a period of 15 years, from April 2010 to March 2025. File Image | Photo credit: The Hindu

The Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO), an environmental pressure group, said on Saturday (Oct 3, 2026) that not a single tiger or elephant poacher has been jailed for the crime in Odisha, pointing to poor enforcement and lack of commitment by the wildlife wing.

Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of the WSO, who criticized the law enforcement agencies for their failure to make progress in the investigation into the smuggling of five baby orangutans into Odisha, said that even after more than a month, the real culprits are yet to be caught.

“Most of those arrested are released on bail within weeks and return to the same crime. Odisha has become a safe haven for wildlife traffickers and poachers due to lax enforcement. Wildlife crime has never been considered a serious problem by the Wild Wing which requires intelligence gathering, enforcement and punishment of the perpetrators,” he said on the occasion of the National Wildlife Memorial Week celebrations game.

“While five orangutan cubs were left abandoned in Balasore in September this year, seven bear cubs were seen roaming by the roadside near Gangapada on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar in 2021. It is not clear how these orangutans, native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia and only Asiatic black bear cubs in India, India, Pakistan and Nepal, found the cubs black bear in Nepal, China, Pakistan. has landed in Odisha,” he pointed out.

These cases remain a mystery as the wildlife has failed to catch the smugglers, Mr. Mohanty said.

He said the two cases were only the tip of the iceberg as wildlife trade in Odisha is rampant and involves exotic species and animals not found in the state. The true scale of the trade could be huge, he said, because the wildlife wing did little to gather information or enforce the law.

“About two decades ago, the Similipal Tiger Reserve had more than 101 tigers and the Satkosia Reserve had 12. Today, Similipal has only about 30 adult tigers, while the Satkosia Tiger Reserve has lost all its tigers. The seizure of 21 leopard skins from a trader in Khordha district in April 1996 was the largest wildlife trade that has spread to the Odds. sometimes seizure of leopard skin and the record is unbroken even after 30 years,” said Mr. Mohanty.

“The last survey conducted by the forest department in 2024 estimated the leopard population at 696. A forest department report released in 2024-25 said only 56 leopards had died in the last 10 years, half of them in poaching cases. Since then, 15 dead leopards have been found, taking a toll of more than 71 years. Seizure of more than 170 leopards skin during the same period was confusing.

As many as 316 elephants were killed by poaching in Odisha during the 15 years from April 2010 to March 2025, he said.

“There is no truth to the claim that no poacher accused of killing tigers or elephants has been jailed for this crime in Odisha. Conviction rates in wildlife crime cases are low, but systems are now being put in place to improve it,” said PK Jha, Chief Wildlife Warden, Odisha.

Mr. Mohanty also said that there may be cases where accused persons are convicted by lower courts but later acquitted by appellate courts.

According to sources in the conservation division of the state forest department, the cops have been called in to strengthen the charge sheet and ensure that wildlife offenders do not escape the clutches of the law.

Published – 03 Oct 2026 21:57 IST