India, Nov. 6 -- Amid a probe order by the Odisha forest minister into the unnatural deaths of around 50 elephants in the state in the last six months, a senior forest and wildlife official on Tuesday said the state's elephant population is facing a severe habitat crunch, leading to food shortages, rising human-animal conflicts and declining animal health.

Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Susanta Nanda on Tuesday said Odisha has around 2,100 elephants, approximately 400 more than the space required to sustainably accommodate them.

"A study was earlier conducted by the elephant center of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru. Sustainably, 1,700 jumbos can safely be accommodated in Odisha forests without hum...