Karnataka to hold census to map wild elephants in unprotected areas

Karnataka will hold its three-day elephant census in its 31 forest divisions and human-elephant conflict-prone areas on May 29, 30 and 31.

Other states with elephant populations ‘merged’ the elephant census, as per the directions of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with the Tiger Census that was conducted in 2022. However, Karnataka is doing the survey to get the exact count of the wild elephants roaming in the forest and coffee estates of the state.

The survey will also be used for mapping the exact number of wild elephants in unprotected areas.

Karnataka, which is the home to the highest number of wild elephants (6,049 as per the 2017 census) will follow three steps count method - block or total count, waterhole count and transect-line fresh dung count - to statistically arrive at the total number of elephants.

Through total count the officials rely on the direct sightings of elephants in each block; the waterhole count will give the department details of the male and female ratio. Unlike the national census, where through the decay rate of elephant dung enumerators count the overall population of the pachyderm, Karnataka would be using the transit-line fresh dung count for a more accurate count.

Speaking to DH, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Kumar Pushkar said, “We will hold talks with all the South Indian states to conduct a similar survey on these three days so that we get at least an exact figure of elephants in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Maharashtra,” he said.

While the majority of the wild elephants are residing in the Nagarhole, Bandipur and Bhadra tiger reserves and surrendering forest patches, sources in the forest department informed DH that more than 300 wild elephants are straying into the unprotected areas of Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu.

“Karnataka has taken the issue of wild elephants in unprotected areas seriously,” said Pushkar and added that in such human-animal conflict areas, the forest department will conduct a direct sighting survey with the help of the elephant task forces.