Chandaka- Damapada sanctuary is situated 20 km from the center of temple city of Bhubaneswar. Chandaka forest got the status of sanctuary by the Government of Odisha in 1982. It was established to provide inviolate refuge for elephant with a view to minimize their depredation. The aim was for overall protection of forest ecosystem, particularly for providing a safe heaven for resident elephants. It is a dense forest covering an area of 193.39 sq. kilometres where elephants roam freely. The sanctuary is abutting both Cuttack and Khordha district. Deras, Jhumka and Kumar Khunti are reservoir surrounded by forest hillocks. Flora is moderately diverse with intimate mixture of evergreen and deciduous forests. According to the Geological Survey of India (GSI), it was found that 37 species of mammals, 167 species of birds, 13 species of amphibians and 33 species of reptiles are present but due to some anthropogenic activities the life of wild animals are in danger. In Chandaka, elephant is a flagship species. According to 2012 census, the member of elephants was 24 but in 2015, it was found surprisingly declined to 8. The major causes of declining number of elephant in Chandaka are the scarcity of foodand water sources, human settlement in forest area, urban development, construction of road, noise pollution, and corridor destructions. For this reason elephants are forced to come out from their original habitat and migrate towards connected forest to Nayagarh, Ganjam and Athagarh. Sometimes elephant also are entering nearby town, destroy the crop damages the house and kill the human beings. Conservation and protection of this key stone species in Chandaka is essential. Conservation priorities for this endangered species includerevival of the corridors, conservation of forests, maintenance of habitat and social development along with avoidance of noise and light.

Keywords: Elephant; Key Stone Species; Conservation; Chandaka.