DEHRADUN: An adult elephant has been spotted at an altitude of nearly 2,900 metres in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district, a rare occurrence that has surprised wildlife experts and raised concerns over a possible shift in elephant movement patterns.
The elephant was sighted near Bhawansi village, close to Paukhal, under the Dugadda development block. The area, located at around 2,982 metres, has not traditionally been known as elephant habitat. Villagers said the animal had been moving through fields and forest patches for the past two days, triggering fears of damage to crops, property and human life.
Uttarakhand, which has the fifth-largest elephant population in the country, has so far recorded elephant activity mainly in the plains and foothill forest belts, including Haridwar, Rajaji National Park, the Corbett landscape and adjoining forest divisions. The latest sighting in the higher reaches has therefore drawn the attention of wildlife experts.
Dr Dinesh Chandra Bhatt, former registrar of Gurukul Kangri University and senior wildlife scientist, said villagers of Jaigaon, Bhatgaon Bagi and Bhawansi had reported the presence of a full-grown elephant in the area.
“The location where the elephant has been sighted lies close to the Hinwal river. The Hinwal meets the Ganga near Garud Chatti. It is possible that the elephant may have moved up from the Haridwar forest division or the Rajaji National Park landscape,” Dr Bhatt said.
He added that the arrival of elephants in hill villages could add to the existing pressure on local communities. “People in the hills are already facing crop and livestock losses due to leopards, bears, wild boars and monkeys. If elephants begin entering these areas, the challenge for farmers will become even more serious,” he said.
Wildlife experts believe the unusual movement may be linked to habitat pressure, search for food, changing weather patterns or disruption of traditional corridors. However, they said detailed monitoring is needed before drawing firm conclusions.
According to the latest All India Synchronised Elephant Estimation Report, India has 22,446 wild elephants. Karnataka has the highest population with 6,013 elephants, followed by Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Uttarakhand has an estimated elephant population of 1,792.
According to forest department sources, 542 elephant deaths were recorded in Uttarakhand between 2001 and June this year. Of these, 168 were due to unnatural causes, including 52 electrocutions, 32 train hits, 73 road accidents and nine cases of poaching.
Another 103 elephants died in infighting, while 278 deaths were attributed to natural causes. Human-elephant conflict has also claimed 151 human lives in the state over the past 15 years.