The Union Environment Ministry reviewed the progress of Project Elephant in its Steering Committee meeting, focusing on elephant census, railway-related deaths, and conservation strategies.
Elephant Census
- The last official elephant census was conducted in 2017, estimating 29,964 elephants in India.
- The elephant census is conducted once in 5 years under the aegis of Project elephant.
- A 2022–23 interim report titled “Status of Elephants in India” was shelved due to delayed data from the Northeast.
- The shelved report indicated a 20% decline in elephant numbers compared to 2017.
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Key Outcomes from the Steering Committee Meeting
- Phase-I of synchronized elephant population estimation was completed for Northeastern states.
- Over 16,500 elephant dung samples collected for population estimation
- Railway Collisions
- 77 high-risk zones identified to mitigate elephant-train accidents.
- 73 elephant deaths due to train collisions reported between 2019–20 and 2023–24.
- Regional action plans discussed for Southern and Northeastern India to manage Human-Elephant conflict.
Standing Committee of NBWL
- It is an independent body under NBWL.
- The Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change chairs the Standing Committee.
- The Standing Committee is completely a project clearance body, while NBWL is a policy decision body that advices and takes part in Central Government’s policies related to wildlife protection.
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- DNA Profiling of Captive Elephants: 1,911 genetic profiles completed across 22 states, marking progress in identification and welfare.
- The Environment Minister also chaired a meeting of the National Board for Wildlife’s Standing Committee in Dehradun.
- The committee recommended inclusion of Sloth Bear and Gharial in the Species Recovery Programme, as per the Ministry.
About Project Elephant
- Launched in 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme by the Government of India.
- Provides financial and technical support to key elephant range states.
- Elephant Range States (16): Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
- Objective:
- Conservation and protection of elephants in the wild.
- Protection of elephant habitats and corridors.
- Mitigation of human-elephant conflict.
- Welfare of captive elephants.
Other Conservation Efforts:
- Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme (2003)
- National Elephant Corridor project (2005)
- Hathi Mere Sathi campaign (2011)
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- Implementation:
- Operated under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Top 5 Indian States by Maximum Elephant Population (As per elephant census 2017): Karnataka > Assam > Kerala > Tamil Nadu > Odisha
Elephants
- Elephants have the longest gestation among mammals—22 months (PYQ-2020).
- Females give birth every 4–5 years.
- Social Structure: Live in matriarchal herds comprising adult females and calves.
- The leader of an elephant group is a female.
- Males are mostly solitary or form small bachelor groups.
- Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus):
- Subspecies: Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan.
- Global Population: Estimated 20,000–40,000.
- Indian Subspecies has the widest range in Asia.
- African Elephants
- Sub Species: Savanna (Bush) Elephant and Forest Elephant.
- IUCN Red List Status:
- Forest Elephant: Critically Endangered
- Savanna Elephant: Endangered
Indian Elephant
- The Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) is the most widely distributed among the three Asian elephant subspecies.
- Apart from India, they are found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- Recognized as India’s National Heritage Animal.
- Listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List, and protected under Appendix I of CITES and Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
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