Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu forest departments to do elephant census

Mangalore Today News Network/News18

Bengaluru, May 23, 2024: In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the cases of human-elephant conflict in the southern part of the country. To scientifically address this issue and develop a sustainable solution, an elephant census is set to be held over three days starting today. This census will take place in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

 

The forests in these states have recorded many incidents of human-elephant conflict in recent years. Elephants often enter human habitats. Many human deaths have been recorded from such incidents. We have also seen elephants coming in front of trains resulting in accidents. To solve these problems the forest departments of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have joined hands. This collaborative approach aims to take suitable measures to avoid such incidents and also find a scientific solution to the problem.

The elephant census is set to take place in these key forest areas:

Bandipur National Park

Nagarhole National Park

Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary

BRT Wildlife Sanctuary

Bannerghatta National Park

Other regional forests in the Madikeri and Virajpet region

Additionally, this census will also be held in the forests of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The forest departments of the state are set to include various steps to conduct the census of elephants. The officials will first collect samples of the elephant’s dung and examine it to find the headcount. The forest areas will be divided into blocks and trained professionals will be deployed in each block. The deployed teams will be responsible for counting the number of elephants in their block and also clicking pictures for future use. Other scientific techniques will also be used to complete this initiative.

Every possible data like the elephant’s age, gender and number of male and female elephants will be first recorded manually. This data will be then digitalised for future purposes. This year only trained forest officials will be deployed to conduct the census.

This study aims to provide a clearer picture of the elephant population in these regions. This census will help to formulate strategies to reduce human-elephant conflicts. This will also help experts to plan strategies to reduce elephant accidents and other similar incidents.