CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday released the latest synchronised elephant population estimation report, according to which, there are 2,961 wild elephants in 26 forest divisions in the state, an increase of 200 elephants compared to the figures of the previous census held in 2017. However, the 2012 census accounted a much higher population of 4,015 elephants, paving the way for doubts about whether the population is on the decline.
The nationwide elephant population estimation exercise is carried out every five years by the forest departments of elephant-range states. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the exercise was not initiated by the Project Elephant Directorate of the Union environment ministry. So, the Tamil Nadu forest department in association with Kerala and Karnataka conducted a synchronised exercise from May 17 to 19 this year.
Chief Wildlife Warden Srinivas R Reddy told TNIE the population of around 3,000 elephants is stable, accurate and healthy. “Elephants are typically long-ranging animals and are distributed across landscapes covering different states. So, only a synchronised census would give accurate population estimation. Tamil Nadu forests can support around 3,000 elephants. There will not be drastic changes in future as well.”
The official said if one looks at the sex-based elephant population, there are 27% adult females, 21% sub-adult females, 14% calves, 13% adult males, 12% sub-adult males and 5% juvenile males. “The sex ratio is not skewed. This indicates there are enough recruits compensating for the deaths. The death rate of 5-7% is acceptable,” he said. As per the official data, an average of 90 to 100 elephants die each year in Tamil Nadu due to various reasons.
The latest census shows wild elephants have been reported in 26 forest divisions of the state and the total area of elephant distribution is approximately 16387.44 sq.km. Among these, effective elephant habitats comprise 9217.13 sq.km of which 3496.81 sq.km areas (38%) were sampled during this population estimation in the state.
Presently, Tamil Nadu has five notified elephant reserves among which Nilgiris Eastern Ghats Elephant Reserve has the highest estimated density with a population of 2,477 elephants followed by Nilambur-Silent Valley in Coimbatore Elephant Reserve, Anamalai - Parambikulam (Anamalai) Elephant Reserve, Srivilliputhur Elephant Reserve and Agasthyamalai Elephant Reserve.
The authorities said the census was carried by three methods - block count, dung count or line transect and waterhole count. The results showed that a minimum of 1,181 elephants were counted from 690 sample blocks, while in the line transect, the estimated population size was 3,173 elephants. “The lower and upper confidence intervals vary from 2,772 to 3,150 elephants. So, based on a defined formula we estimate there are 2,961 elephants in Tamil Nadu,” Reddy said.
Forest officials said, although the elephant population in the state is healthy, there are several challenges hampering the conservation including encroachments in the elephant corridors, electrocutions and change in elephants' behaviour and migration paths due to climate change factors etc.
Only recently, the state government has notified Power Fences (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2023 to protect the wildlife, especially elephants from getting electrocuted. In the last 10 years, around 100 elephants have died due to electrocution in Tamil Nadu.
