According to Athagarh Forest Ranger Arun Kumar Swain, the Forest Department began the elephant census on May 9 in five forest ranges and spotted 220 pachyderms.
In Athagarh range 23 elephants, in Khuntuni range 12, in Badamba 59, in Narasinghpur (East) 58 and in Narasinghpur (West) 68 elephants were sighted during the counting.
As many as 58 teams were engaged in the counting which concluded on May 12.