COIMBATORE: Four southern states would be joining hands for the synchronised population estimation of wild elephants for three days starting from May 23. Earlier, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh decided to conduct the field assessment starting from May 17. Based on a request from Kerala forest department, the other states agreed to postpone the census.
The forest department heads of the four states convened an online meeting on Tuesday to discuss the methodology for conducting the census. Kerala officials requested one more week’s time saying they have to make preparations and the other officials accepted it.
In Tamil Nadu, the estimation would be conducted in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Erode, Dharmapuri, Hosur, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Megamalai, Srivilliputhur, Tirunelveli and Kanniya-kumari.
Mudumalai field director and conservator of forests D Venkatesh has been appointed as nodal officer in Tamil Nadu. “The methodology used last year will be continued now also and the number of forest staff and volunteers who will take part will be decided in the coming days,” the officer said.
On day one of the census, a team comprising four to five members would be deputed to a forest beat which is spread over 500 hectares or five square km. The members would walk for at least 15 km from 6 am to 6pm and assess the age and sex of the elephants directly and the data will be filled in the sheet.
A volunteer who participated in the last estimation told TNIE “The team would assess whether the elephant is makhna, has any external injuries and approximate size of the tusks etc.”
On day two, the team would assess the elephant dung through which they can be differentiated. On day 3, the team would sit near the water hole and grass land and observe elephant behaviour.
Sources said the four states have decided to release the results together.
A total of 2,961 elephants were identified in the census carried out from May 17 to 19 last year. This is an increase from the 2,761, elephants that were recorded during the 2017 census.