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ASIAN ELEPHANT IN NILGIRI

7th January, 2023

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Context: A recent paper published by a conservationist said that the Asian elephant has lost most of its optimal habitat in the Nilgiri biosphere Reserve.

Details:

  • The Indian elephant is one of three extant recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to mainland Asia.

Asian Elephant

  • Asian Elephant is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the north, Sumatra in the south, and to Borneo in the east.
  • The Asian elephant is the largest living land animal in Asia.
  • Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as the population has declined by at least 50 percent over the last three elephant generations, which is about 60–75 years.
  • It is primarily threatened by loss of habitat, habitat degradation, fragmentation and poaching.
  • The South Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are home to nearly 44% of the elephants.
  • Karnataka has the highest number of elephants: 6049
  • The elephant has been accorded the highest possible protection under the Indian wildlife law through its listing under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Project Elephant

  • Project Elephant (PE) was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:
    • To protect elephants, their habitat and corridors.
    • To address issues of man-animal conflict.
    • The welfare of captive elephants
    • Elephant census is conducted once in 5 years under the aegis of Project elephant. Methods employed: direct counting and dung decay formula.

Haathi Mere Saathi

  • Campaign Haathi Mere Saathi came into existence by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India.
  • The aim of this campaign is to increase public awareness and develop friendships between elephants and the local population. It is to conserve and protect elephants.

MIKE

  • The Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) program is an international collaboration that measures the levels, trends and causes of elephant mortality, thereby providing an information base to support international decision-making related to the conservation of elephants in Asia and Africa.
  • The MIKE Programme was established by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)by Resolution 10.10 adopted at the tenth Conference of the Parties in 1997.
  • There are currently 28 sites participating in the MIKE program in Asia, distributed across 13 countries: India has 10 sites.

Elephant Range

Elephant Reserve 

State 

Total Area 

Eastern India
(southwest Bengal – Jharkhand-Odisha)

1. Mayurjharna ER

West Bengal

414

2. Singhbhum ER  

Jharkhand

4530

3. Mayurbhanj ER 

Odisha

3214

4. Mahanadi ER 

Odisha

1038

5. Sambalpur ER 

Odisha

427

6. Badalkhol-Tamorpingla

Chhattisgarh

1048.30

North Brahmaputra
(Arunachal – Assam)

1. Kameng ER 

Arunachal Pradesh

1892

2. Sonitpur ER 

Assam

1420

South Brahmaputra
(Assam- Arunachal)

1. Dihing-Patkai ER 

Assam

937

2. South Arunachal ER 

Arunachal Pradesh

1957.50

Kaziranga
(Assam- Nagaland)

1. Kaziranga – Karbi Anglong ER

Assam

3270

2.  Dhansiri-Lungding ER

Assam

2740

3. Intanki ER 

Nagaland

202

4. Singphan ER 

Nagaland

23.57

Eastern Dooars
(Assam- W. Bengal)

1. Chirang-Ripu ER 

Assam

2600

2. Eastern Dooars ER 

West Bengal

978

E. Himalayas (Meghalaya)

1. Garo Hills ER 

Meghalaya

3,500

Nilgiri –Eastern Ghat
(Karnataka- Kerala- Tamilnadu-Andhra)

1. Mysore ER

Karnataka

6724

2. Dandeli ER 

Karnataka

3. Wayanad ER

Kerala

1200

4. Nilgiri ER

Tamil Nadu

4663

5. Rayala ER 

Andhra Pradesh

766

South Nilgiri
(Kerala- Tamilnadu)

1. Nilambur ER 

Kerala

1419

2. Coimbatore ER 

Tamil Nadu

566

Western Ghat
(Tamilnadu- Kerala)

1. Anamalai ER 

Tamil Nadu

1457

2. Anamudi ER 

Kerala

3728

Periyar
(Kerala- Tamilnadu)

1. Periyar 

Kerala

3742

2. Srivilliputtur ER

Tamil Nadu

1249

Northern India (Uttaranchal-U.P.)

1. Shivalik ER 

Uttarakhand

5405

2. Uttar Pradesh ER   

Uttar Pradesh

744

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/endangered-asian-elephant-has-lost-most-of-its-optimal-habitat-in-nilgiri-reserve-study/article66343549.ece