Good news for elephants in Odisha

   Odisha is another area where elephant conflicts have taken a huge toll. According to the Hindu, "Odisha has recorded one of the worst man-elephant conflicts in the country. Since 2013-14, 311 elephants have been killed with annual average elephant deaths estimated at over 70. During the same period, 275 humans lost their lives in elephant depredation."
   But despite the conflicts, the wild elephant population is holding steady, and perhaps growing a little. In a population study conducted in Odisha and three other states in May, the government found that the number of elephants had grown by 22 elephants in the past two years, up from 1,954 to 1,976.
    That is less than one percent grown per year, but it is hopeful. Elephant populations in India have been in severe decline for most of the past century,  

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