Elephant Reserves of India by Dr. Gaurav Garg
13 Elephant range countries (Asia) :-
● South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka (SAARC Countries).
● Southeast Asia – Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam (ASEAN
Countries and China).
Asian Elephant :-
● The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). [First name shows 'genus' and second name shows 'species' and
third name shows 'subspecies'].
● Three subspecies are recognized :-
➢ Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka.
➢ Elephas maximus indicus from mainland Asia (Indian Elephant).
➢ Elephas maximus sumatranus from the island of Sumatra. (Sumatra Island is an island of Indonesia).
● The Government of India declared Indian elephant as National Heritage Animal in 2010 .
● Indian elephant is also provided the highest degree of legal protection by listing it in Schedule I of the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 .
● Animals with maximum protection are kept under Schedule-I.
● In Schedule-V, animals kept are called 'Vermin', these animals can be killed.
Indian Elephant :-
● Indian Elephant is also included in Appendix I (maximum protection) of CITES (Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington
Convention).
● Elephants can be found in 16 of the 28 states in the country (Wild Elephant). But now expansion is
happening and Elephants are found in states where they were never seen (e.g. Haryana).
● Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) of Wild Animals Appendix I – Threatened
Migratory Species, COP 13 organised in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
● In this COP13 three animals "Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican" were added to
Appendix 1 (maximum protection) after request from Indian Government.
● India’s first elephant rehabilitation centre is to be set up in Kottoor, Kerala.
● India's first Elephant Hospital built in Mathura (UP) by an NGO 'Wildlife SOS'.
PROJECT ELEPHANT :-
● It was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with
following objectives :-
➢ To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors.
➢ To address issues of man-animal conflict.
➢ Welfare of captive elephants.
// Central Sector Schemes → 100% funding by Central Government.
// Centrally Sponsored Scheme → State and Centre Government together provide funding, it can be in any
ratio.
● World Elephant Day is observed on August 12 to spread worldwide awareness for the conservation and
protection of elephants from the numerous threats they face.
● It was launched on August 12, 2012, to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants.
● Elephant is the State animal of Jharkhand, Kerala and Karnataka.
● ‘ Gaj Yatra ’ (Artificial Elephants are built in yatra) a nationwide awareness campaign to celebrate
elephants and highlight the necessity of securing elephant corridors.
Elephants Population Census :-
● The population estimation of Asian elephants in the 2017
census is lower than from the last census estimate in 2012
(between 29,391 and 30,711). According to this report the
total number of elephants was 27,312 . This census was
released in 2019.
● These census are conducted by the Ministry of Environment,
Forests and Climate Change. Next census will take place in
2022.
● Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6,049),
followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054).
● The table shows 23 states instead of 16 as discussed earlier,
this is because elephants are leaving their original home and
moving to other states.
➢ This is happening because their habitat is getting
destroyed by deforestation.
➢ This relocation of elephants is resulting in man-animal
conflicts in some places.
➢ Also, elephants move to certain places where they find.
● Elephant habitat "expansion" worrying because it could lead to an increase in human-animal conflicts.
● Jumbos have been reported for the first time in Manipur, Mizoram, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh and Andaman & Nicobar islands.
● Final Report (2019) -
➢ Elephant population in the country is estimated at 29,964 as per 2017 census. (Initially it was said the
number was 27,312, but it changed when the final report came of 2017 census).
➢ The South Region accounted for 14,612 followed by North East with 10,139 elephants.
➢ The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change released the findings of the first Survey of
Elephants in Captivity in 2019.
➢ According to this survey, there are 2454 Elephants in Captivity in India.
➢ Out of this 2454, 560 elephants are under the protection of the Forest Department and 1687
elephants have been kept by the people.
➢ 58 percent of all captive elephants are concentrated in two states: 905 in Assam and 518 in Kerala.
MIKE :-
● The CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants
(MIKE) programme is a site-based system designed to
monitor trends in the illegal killing of elephants and provide
information to help range States make appropriate
management and enforcement decisions.
● MIKE started in South Asia in 2003.
● When an elephant carcass is found, local site personnel try
to establish and record the cause of death and other details
(MIKE sites have been established). This information is
recorded in standardized forms, details of which are then
consolidated and submitted to the MIKE programme for
analysis.
Elephant corridors :-
● These are narrow strips of land that connect two large
habitats or Elephant Reserves.
● The highest number of corridors are located in West Bengal.
● Total 100+ elephant corridors in India.
● In these corridors, Elephants are highly vulnerable.
● Various Activities are affecting these Elephant Corridors -
➢ Highways/construction/Railway tracks/electrocution.
➢ Poaching.
➢ Agriculture activities/ Slash & Burn (Jhum Cultivation or Shifting Cultivation).
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