Why Do Elephants Face a Jumbo Challenge?, Pg12.

Key Highlights:

• India’s elephant population stands at 22,446, a decline of over 7,500 from 2017.
• The census adopted a DNA-based estimation method for the first time, creating a new monitoring baseline.
• The Southern Landscape (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu) hosts the largest population (11,934), accounting for 53.17% of India’s elephants.
• North East India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya) follows with 4,159 elephants, or 22.22% of the total.
• Central and Eastern India (Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal) recorded 8.42%, while Uttarakhand alone recorded the highest numbers in the North with 1,792 elephants.
• The study under the Synchronized All-India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021–25 method aims to improve population accuracy and monitoring.

Detailed Insights:

• Methodological Evolution:
  • Earlier censuses (1929–2017) used visual counts and transect methods, which led to data inconsistencies.
  • The new SAIEE method employs grid-based sampling (100 sq. km each), DNA analysis, and dung sample collection to minimize overlap and double-counting.
• Findings on Habitat and Threats:
  • India’s elephant population faces rapid habitat fragmentation due to agricultural expansion, plantations, mining, and urbanization.
  • Encroachments and linear infrastructure projects (roads, power lines, canals) have disrupted elephant corridors, forcing herds into human settlements.
  • States like Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu show highest habitat connectivity, but Assam, Odisha, and Jharkhand report increased conflict incidents.
• Human–Elephant Conflict (HEC):
  • The report attributes rising conflict to elephants’ migration from fragmented habitats in search of food and water.
  • Districts in Assam, Jharkhand, and Karnataka have seen multiple deaths of both humans and elephants annually.
  • Lack of coexistence planning and land-use mismanagement exacerbate these conflicts.
• Ecological Importance:
  • Elephants are a keystone species, shaping forest ecology by seed dispersal and vegetation regulation.
  • Decline in their numbers indicates ecosystem imbalance and biodiversity loss.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• DNA-based Estimation: A molecular method that uses dung or hair samples to identify unique genetic markers, reducing counting errors.
• SAIEE Method (2021–25): Grid-based sampling integrating direct and indirect sighting data to improve population accuracy.
• Habitat Fragmentation: Division of natural habitats into smaller, isolated patches, leading to decreased wildlife movement and genetic diversity.
• Keystone Species: Species whose role is crucial to maintaining the structure and functioning of an ecosystem.