Number Of Elephants In Karnataka Goes Up By 364 From Last Census, Touching 6,395

Relevance: GS3 - Conservation; Prelims

(Source: The Hindu, 08/10/2023)

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Why in the news?

• Recently, the Asian Elephant population in Karnataka has shown a positive trend with an increase of 346 elephants since 2017.
• The current elephant count stands at 6,395, making Karnataka the state with the highest elephant population in the country.
• The report was released by the Forest Minister of the State ahead of World Elephant Day on August 12, which aims to raise awareness about the need to conserve and protect these endangered animals.

Key Findings of Elephant Census 2023

• In 2010, the projected number of elephants was 5,740, which increased to 6,072 in 2012 before experiencing a decline in 2017.
• A synchronized census was recently carried out in collaboration with the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Goa.
• Objective: The main objectives of the census were to estimate the current wild elephant population using methods similar to the previous 2017 estimation, allowing for a comparison of population trends.
• The census aimed to analyze the population's structure, including factors such as age-sex composition and sex ratios. This analysis was conducted based on direct sightings in areas with high visibility across various forest divisions.
• The census covered 23 forest divisions in Karnataka, indicating an average elephant density of 0.34 per sq km.
  • Bandipur Tiger Reserve recorded the highest density at 0.96 with 1,116 elephants, followed by Nagarahole Tiger Reserve with 0.93 density and 831 elephants.

About Asian Elephant

• There are three subspecies of Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) which are the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.
• The Indian subspecies has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.
• Global Population: Estimated 20,000 to 40,000.
• Compared to the African bush elephant, the Asiatic Elephant is smaller by comparison with a convex back.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered.
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
  • CITES: Appendix I

Initiatives Taken

• Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme: MIKE was launched in 2003, is an international collaboration that tracks trends in information related to the illegal killing of elephants from across Africa and Asia, to monitor effectiveness of field conservation efforts.
• Project Elephant: It is a centrally sponsored scheme and was launched in February 1992 for the protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides financial and technical support to major elephant range states in the country through the project.
• Haathi Mere Saathi Campaign: The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) launched the Haathi Mere Saathi campaign in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). The campaign was launched in 2011 at the "Elephant- 8" Ministerial meeting in Delhi.
• Campaign Mascot ‘Gaju’: The campaign's target audience groups include locals near elephant habitats, youth, and policymakers, among others. It plans to establish Gajah (elephant) centres in elephant habitats across the country to raise awareness about their plight and encourage people to get involved in addressing the threats to elephants.

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FAQs

MCQs

Question: With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements: (PYQ – UPSC 2020)

1. The leader of an elephant group is a female.
2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months.
3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only.
4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Question: Consider the following protected areas: (PYQ – UPSC 2012)

1. Bandipur
2. Bhitarkanika
3. Manas
4. Sunderbans

Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4