Bhubaneswar, April 11 -- Once celebrated for its majestic elephants and revered as the land of the Gajapati Maharajas-rulers historically associated with the gentle giants-Odisha has now turned out to be India's elephant graveyard according to data sourced from the ministry of environment, forests and climate change.

Between 2015-16 and 2023-24, Odisha recorded 176 elephant deaths due to train accidents, electrocution, poaching and poisoning, the second highest number of deaths due to unnatural causes after Assam which recorded 200 , revealed the information provided by the Union environment ministry under RTI Act to this correspondent.

Seen in the context of unnatural deaths as compared to the total wild elephant population in the stat...