Over 250 elephants have died in the years, 2007-08 and 2008-09, making the period the deadliest ever for the pachyderms in the State’s forests.

The Forest department’s report submitted to the High Court clearly indicate a spurt in the deaths compared to the previous eight years. While 62 of the deaths in 2008-09 were of female elephants, the bulls dominated the list of pachyderm that died due to unnatural causes such as poisoning, poaching and electrocution.

From 2001-02 to 2007, as many as 703 elephant deaths were reported. But the toll was the highest in 2007-08, when 134 of these animals, including 37 bulls died. As many as 121 deaths, including that of 62 bulls, have been recorded in 2008-09.

While 14 deaths were unnatural in 2007-08, 13 unnatural deaths were recorded in 2008-09. The number of female elephant deaths was 64 and 62 respectively during this period. The death of calves during these years were 26 and 18. Only three calves died due to unnatural death during the two years.

Of the five Makhnas that died during these years, three were attributed to unnatural causes. An analysis of the last eight year statistics show that 320 female elephants had died. Among these, 50 have died due to unnatural causes.

Interestingly, the death of human beings on the forest fringes is 322 since 2002, of which the number during the year 2007-08 was 61 and in 2008-09, the number was 20. The number of crop raids and injuries is also on the rise. Crop raids have shot up from 5,000 since 2002 to the present 17,552 in 2007-08. A total of 13,560 crop raids were reported in 2008-09.

The number of those injured during the seven years is 1,757, since 2002.