A herd of a dozen elephants rumbled across a highway in eastern India’s Odisha, blocking traffic as well as the commuters.

The incident took place on August 8 along National Highway 200 between Dhenkanal and Parjang.

Footage shows the elephants, including calves, making their way across the highway, as vehicle movement comes to a halt.

According to statistics, 2,044 elephants lived in Odisha’s dense forests in the year 1979, as opposed to a decline to 1,976 in 2017.

Odisha has lost more elephants than most elephant bearing Indians states, with elephant populations in some states twice of Odisha’s.

The Odisha elephant population faces a grave threat as about 20 adult breeding male elephants die each year, mostly due to poaching and electrocution.

A herd of a dozen elephants rumbled across a highway in eastern India’s Odisha, blocking conveyance in an attempt to ensure their safety, as well as the commuters'.

The incident took place on August 8 along National Highway 200 in Dhenkanal’s Parjang block.

The visual shows about a dozen elephants, including calves, making their way across the highway, as vehicle movement comes to a stop as a precaution to avert any untoward incident.

According to statistics, 2044 elephants lived in Odisha’s dense forests in the year 1979, as opposed to a decline to 1976, in 2017.

Odisha has lost more elephants than most elephant bearing Indians states, with elephant populations in some states twice of Odisha’s.

The Odisha elephant population now faces a grave threat as about 20 adult breeding male elephants die each year, mostly due to poaching and electrocution.