Elephant census in three Indian states in mid-May

M.G. Srinath

New Delhi – A elephant census in three southern Indian states—where the pachyderm is found in large numbers—is to be held on May 15-16, according to local media reports.

The two-day census will be held in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It will be held in the national parks and sanctuaries in the area.

The Karnataka state alone accounted for 5,000 elephants in the last census held in the state in 2007. State's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) B.K Singh says the number would be on the higher side this time as . “We have been seeing several elephant calves within the herds and that is a promising sign.”

This would indeed be a heartening trend given the growing human-elephant conflict and a sharp increase in the number of elephants killed, primarily by electrocution, over the past five years.

In 2009-10 alone, of the 132 elephants that died, 34 of them were killed, said Singh. This translates into one elephant killed for every three natural deaths.

The 12,00 sq.km area, spanning the three southern states may be home to 6,300 elephants.

India has the largest population of Asian elephants with population estimates ranging from 26,000 to 31,000.

However, India doesn't have an inkling of the present strength of captive elephants. For, the last survey was done way back in 2000, and which put their numbers at 3,567.

The census, funded by Project Elephant, will cover Bannerghatta National Park, Nagarahole National Park, Bandipur National Park, BR Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Kudremukh National Park. Around 50 to 100 people will take part in each division. Volunteers will be enlisted, too, said Mr. Singh.

The methodology will involve block count and line transect, including direct sighting and dung count, according to the official..

Meanwhile, the federal government has set up a panel to draft policy for elephant conservation.

Home to 60 per cent of the global wild Asian elephants, India has now woken up to the cause of its pachyderms. It has decided to set up an institutional framework” on par with its flagship Project Tiger scheme.

Although India launched the Project Elephant in 1992, its impact has been limited. Now the government has launched a new “effective and practical” policy for better conservation and management of the mammals.

The new 11-member Task Force also has the brief to examine issues related to human-elephant conflicts and suggest short- and long-term solutions. It will also identify, catalog and define elephant reserves and ranges at the landscape level, on the lines of Project Tiger.

“The institutional framework could be on the lines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and those at the tiger reserves,” sources said.

A study on the health of captive elephants with the focus on tuberculosis conducted by the Bangalore-based NGO Asian Nature and Conservation Foundation in 2008 found that over 15 per cent of them suffered from the diseases in southern India.

In all, the health of 387 captive elephants in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was studied. It was found 59 of them had TB. Incidentally, the elephants at the temples were the most affected.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/321713,elephant-census-in-three-indian-states-in-mid-may.html.