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Elephant Reserves in India: List, Conservation Efforts, Project Elephant, & Population

PWOnlyIAS February 07, 2024 07:28 3039 0

Learn about Elephant Reserves in India, their importance, conservation efforts, Project Elephant, population statistics, and FAQs.

Elephant Reserves in India: List, Conservation Efforts, Project Elephant, & Population

Elephant Reserves: Safeguarding Elephant Habitats and Populations

Elephant Reserves are areas set aside for the conservation and protection of elephants and their habitats. These reserves aim to ensure the long-term survival and proper-being of elephant populations.

Elephant Reserves are created to shield the natural habitats, migration routes, and feeding grounds critical for the sustenance of elephant populations. They contribute to biodiversity conservation and promote coexistence among elephants and local communities.

Elephant Reserves in India: Importance and Conservation Efforts

Elephant Reserves in India are critical for numerous reasons, basically focused on the conservation and properly-being of elephant populations:

  • Habitat Preservation: Elephant Reserves in India play a critical function in maintaining the natural habitats required for elephants to thrive. 
    • These areas embody various ecosystems, consisting of forests, grasslands, and water our bodies, supplying the vital resources for elephants’ sustenance.
  • Biodiversity Conservation: In addition to safeguarding elephants, those reserves make contributions substantially to the conservation of biodiversity. 
    • By shielding the habitats that aid elephants, a myriad of other plant and animal species within the environment also benefits.
  • Migration Route Maintenance: Elephants are migratory animals that require expansive territories for their traditional migration routes. 
    • Elephant Reserves in India assist maintain those routes, preventing disruptions as a result of human encroachment, infrastructure development, or different disturbances.
  • Genetic Diversity: By designating unique regions as Elephant Reserves, efforts are made to conserve extraordinary populations of elephants.
    • This contributes to the protection of genetic diversity inside the species, ensuring healthier and more resilient populations.
  • Conservation of Endangered Species: Elephant habitats frequently overlap with the ones of other endangered species.  
    • By retaining these areas, Elephant Reserves in India in a roundabout way defend and help the survival of various vegetation and fauna, contributing to typical atmosphere health.
  • Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation: Preserving Elephant Reserves in India can help reduce conflicts between elephants and human activities. 
    • By providing ok area and resources inside those reserves, the likelihood of elephants venturing into human settlements looking for food or water is minimised.
  • Sustainable Resource Use: Elephant Reserves in India sell the sustainable use of natural resources. 
    • By dealing with these regions correctly, it’s far more viable to strive for stability among human desires and the conservation of ecosystems, making sure the longevity of both.
  • Promotion of Ecotourism: Well-managed Elephant Reserves can come to be facilities for eco-tourism, imparting visitors the opportunity to witness elephants in their herbal surroundings. Revenue generated from accountable tourism can be reinvested in conservation efforts.

Functions of Elephant Reserves in India: Protecting Habitat

1. Habitat Protection:

  • Elephant Reserves in India serve as devoted areas for the maintenance of herbal habitats crucial for the proper-being and survival of elephant populations. These habitats consist of forests, grasslands, and water bodies.

2. Biodiversity Conservation:

  • By safeguarding the ecosystems within Elephant Reserves in India, a variety of vegetation and fauna, past elephants, blessings from the conservation efforts. This contributes to the overall upkeep of biodiversity.

3. Migration Route Maintenance:

  • Elephants are migratory animals with installed conventional migration routes. Elephant Reserves in India play a pivotal function in keeping those routes, stopping disruptions as a result of human improvement or different disturbances.

4. Genetic Diversity Conservation:

  • Elephant Reserves in India are designed to protect distinct populations of elephants. This conservation method allows preserving genetic variety within the species, ensuring healthier and more resilient elephant populations.

5. Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation:

  • Preserving Elephant Reserves in India allows mitigate conflicts among elephants and human activities. By supplying ok area and sources within those reserves, the likelihood of elephants venturing into human settlements is reduced.

6. Sustainable Resource Use:

  • Effective control of Elephant Reserves in India promotes sustainable use of herbal resources. Balancing the desires of each elephant and neighbourhood communities guarantees the long-term viability of ecosystems.

Elephant Reserves in India: Recent Elephant Population Statistics

The wild elephant population in India is presently predicted to be between 25,000 to 29,000. However, the conservation popularity of male elephants, known as tuskers, is increasingly more precarious, with the most effective about 1,200 finches in India.

1. Distribution of Elephants in Elephant Reserves in India

  • Discrepancies inside the pronounced counts are attributed to versions in counting methodologies. Notably, a few states, including Manipur, Mizoram, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Andaman & Nicobar, recorded elephant sightings for the first time in 2017. 
  • The distribution of these elephants spans 33 Elephant Reserves in India situated in 14 states, organized within 10 elephant landscapes. 
  • These reserves collectively cover an extensive area of about 80,000 square kilometers, comprising diverse forest ecosystems across India.

Project Elephant: Sanctuaries & Elephant Reserves In India

Zone State Elephant Reserves in India
North-Western Landscape Uttrakhand Shivalik Elephant Reserve
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Elephant Reserve
East-Central Landscape West Bengal Mayurjharna Elephant Reserve
Jharkhand Singhbhum Elephant Reserve
Orissa Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve
Orissa Mahanadi Elephant Reserve
Orissa Sambalpur Elephant Reserve
Orissa Baitami Elephant Reserve
Orissa South Orissa Elephant Reserve
Chhattisgarh Lemru Elephant Reserve
Chhattisgarh Badalkhol – Tamor Pingla Elephant Reserve
Kameng- Sonitpur Landscape Arunachal Pradesh Kameng Elephant Reserve
Assam Sonitpur Elephant Reserve
Eastern-South Bank Landscape Assam Dihing-Patkai Elephant Reserve
Arunachal Pradesh South Arunachal Elephant Reserve
Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong-Intanki Landscape Assam Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve
Assam Dhansiri-Lungding Elephant Reserve
Nagaland Intanki Elephant Reserve
North Bengal- Greater Manas Landscape Assam Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve
West Bengal Eastern Dooars Elephant Reserve
Meghalaya Landscape Meghalaya Garo Hills Elephant Reserve
Meghalaya Khasi-hills Elephant Reserve
Brahmagiri- Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats Landscape Karnataka Mysore Elephant Reserve
Kerala Wayanad Elephant Reserve
Kerala Nilambur Elephant Reserve
Tamil Nadu Coimbatore Elephant Reserve
Tamil Nadu Nilgiri Elephant Reserve
Andhra Pradesh Rayala Elephant Reserve
Annamalai- Nelliyampathy- High Range Landscape Tamil Nadu Annamalai Elephant Reserve
Kerala Anamudi Elephant Reserve
Periyar- Agasthyamalai Landscape Kerala Periyar Elephant Reserve
Tamil Nadu Srivilliputhur Elephant Reserve

Elephant Reserves in India: Protecting the Habitat of Asian Elephants

Elephant Reserves in India play a pivotal function inside the protection of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), an endangered species cherished for its iconic status. These reserves serve as crucial conservation areas, committed to safeguarding the natural habitat and universal well-being of these majestic creatures. 

Protection Of Habitat

  • By presenting safety against threats like poaching, habitat depletion, and human-elephant conflicts, those reserves create a secure environment for the elephants.

Elephant Corridors

  • Strategically situated across numerous states, Elephant Reserves in India prioritise the renovation of elephant corridors, migratory routes, and vital habitats. These measures serve to facilitate the unrestricted movement of those gentle giants. 

Additionally, the reserves actively make contributions to research projects, academic packages, and network engagement, fostering a holistic method to elephant conservation.

Elephant Reserves in India

Project Elephant: Safeguarding Wild Populations, Corridors, and Habitats in India

Project Elephant, initiated in February 1992, is a scheme backed through the Central Government of India. This application is devoted to helping the safeguarding and powerful management of elephants in states where wild elephant populations exist freely.

Safeguarding Wild Elephant Populations through Habitat Protection and Corridor Conservation

  • Under the Project Elephant scheme, emphasis is placed on ensuring the protection of elephant corridors and habitats to stabilise the survival of untamed elephant populations. 

Elephant Conservation Initiatives Across 16 States in India: A Comprehensive Overview

  • The implementation of this elephant conservation strategy in most cases in 16 out of the 28 states or union territories in India. This includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
  • Collaboration among States

    • To achieve the targets of Project Elephant, the Union government extends technical and economic help to the collaborating states. 
    • This resource allows the execution of the assignment’s goals, consisting of activities inclusive of undertaking elephant censuses and offering training for area officials. The overall purpose is to mitigate and prevent conflicts between people and elephants.

Objectives of Project Elephant: Holistic Conservation & Initiatives for Elephant Well-being

Project Elephant has set forth several targets with the overarching aim of ensuring the well-being of domesticated elephants, safeguarding elephants, their habitats, and corridors, as well as addressing human-elephant battle. The specific pursuits consist of:

Scientific Management:

  • Develop and advocate for medical and nicely-planned management techniques to preserve elephants efficiently.

Anti-Poaching Measures:

  • Combat illegal ivory trade and defend elephants from hunters and poachers to ensure their sustained protection.

Prevention of Unnatural Causes:

  • Formulate strategies to prevent unnatural reasons of elephant mortality, contributing to the general well-being of elephant populations in India.

Ecological Restoration:

  • Focus on the ecological restoration of natural elephant habitats and migratory routes to help their natural manner of lifestyles.

Conflict Mitigation:

  • Mitigate and save you from the escalating warfare in elephant habitats among people and elephants through strategic measures.

Livestock Grazing Reduction:

  • Reduce and get rid of domestic farm animals grazing, human sports, and associated pressures in important elephant habitats.

Scientific Research and Public Education:

  • Promote clinical studies on topics associated with elephant conservation, and interact in public schooling initiatives to elevate cognizance approximately these issues.

Veterinary Care and Eco-development:

  • Facilitate veterinary care for the proper breeding and health care of domesticated elephants. Additionally, it helps eco-improvement initiatives tailored for the well-being of elephants.

MIKE Program: Anti-Poaching Measures and Trend Analysis

  • The MIKE Program, which stands for the Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants, was initiated in South Asia in 2003 following a resolution by the Conference of Parties to CITES. Its primary aim was to furnish elephant range countries with essential information for the effective management and long-term protection of their elephant populations.

Objectives of the MIKE Program:

  • The MIKE program sought to assess the levels and trends in illegal poaching, identifying contributing factors. A key objective was to bring about positive changes in trends concerning elephant protection.

Elephant Reserves in India: Campaign Haathi Mere Saathi:

In collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India, the Ministry of Environment and Forests launched the “Hathi Mere Sathi” campaign on May 24, 2011, in Delhi.

Aim of the Campaign:

  • The campaign aimed to enhance public awareness regarding the plight of elephants while fostering connections between elephants and the local population. “Haathi Mere Saathi” focused on the welfare, conservation, and protection of elephants in India.

Difference between Asian and African Elephant

Elephant Reserves in India

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Frequently Asked Questions

Elephant Reserves in India play an essential function in safeguarding Asian elephants, developing secure environments, retaining habitats, and facilitating the unrestricted motion of these majestic creatures.

India has 33 Elephant Reserves in India positioned in 14 states, protecting an intensive location of about 80,000 sq. kilometres.

Project Elephant, initiated in February 1992, is a government scheme subsidized by the Central Government of India, dedicated to the safeguarding and effective control of elephants in states wherein wild elephant populations exist freely.

Project Elephant ambitions for medical management, anti-poaching measures, prevention of unnatural reasons for elephant mortality, ecological restoration, warfare mitigation, farm animal grazing reduction, medical research, public education, veterinary care, and eco-improvement.

The MIKE Program (Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants) was initiated in South Asia in 2003 to assess unlawful poaching levels and developments, figuring out contributing elements for powerful control and long-term protection of elephant populations.

Launched on May 24, 2011, in Delhi, the campaign was launched in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India and the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Its goal was to decorate public focus regarding the plight of elephants and foster connections between elephants and the neighbourhood population.

The wild elephant population in India is estimated to be between 25,000 to 29,000, with approximately 1,200 ultimate male elephants referred to as tuskers.

Asian elephant populations closely rely upon the useful situations of forests, with tremendous needs for food and water, making the knowledge of habitat requirements vital for powerful conservation efforts.

The maximum concentrations of Asian Elephants in India are discovered in tropical deciduous forests, with distribution among 4 primary agencies within the southern, northern, valuable, and northeastern regions.

The subspecies of Asian Elephants include Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan, with the species being endangered due to population decline, consistent with the IUCN reputation.
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