MYSURU: Amid a surge in human-elephant conflict incidents along inter-state borders, a three-day Synchronised Elephant Population Estimation (SEPE) exercise began on Friday at the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.
Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) N Lakshmikanth announced that the census will be carried out on May 23, 24, and 25. The initiative aims to assess elephant populations along state borders to inform conflict mitigation and management strategies.
The census is being conducted in three phases. On May 23, during Block Sampling, teams will survey five sq kilometres of sample blocks on foot, covering at least 15 km. They will record the number of elephants sighted directly, along with details such as gender, age group (adult, sub-adult, juvenile, calf), and group size. On May 24, as part of the Line Transect, a 2 km transect will be walked starting at 6 am to record indirect signs of elephant presence such as dung and footprints on either side of the path. On May 25, during waterhole count, the forest staff will monitor selected water bodies from 6 am to 6 pm, documenting and photographing elephants that visit the lakes during this period.
Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, which spans the Mysore and Kodagu districts, is home to the highest elephant population in Karnataka and includes a significant elephant corridor. Over 300 personnel will participate in the exercise, spread across 91 patrol units. Each patrol team includes at least one staff member trained online for the census. “Identifying areas with high elephant density and sex ratios will provide crucial insights for addressing human-elephant conflict and enhancing management efforts,” ACF Lakshmikanth added.