Karnataka: Last Two Previous Estimations Report Drop in Jumbo Numbers
Even as the wild elephant numbers fall, Karnataka tops States having the highest elephant population by supporting as many as 6,103 estimated jumbos out of 22, 446 of them in the country but jumbos in Karnataka are free from threats to their survival
BENGALURU: The elephant estimation exercises of 2017 and 2021-25 point to decline in their numbers in the wild and the fall in their population could be attributed to various reasons such as habitat loss, fragmentation of lands, mining pressures among others factors.
The 2017 estimation had a jumbo population of 27, 694 in the country and it further dropped to 22, 446 in 2021-25 estimation exercise. However, earlier estimations of elephants had reported constant rise in elephant numbers from 1978-83 exercise. The estimations conducted in 1993, 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012 reported a jump in jumbo numbers.
Even as the wild elephant numbers fall, Karnataka tops States having the highest elephant population by supporting as many as 6,103 estimated jumbos out of 22, 446 of them in the country but jumbos in Karnataka are free from threats to their survival. The release of DNA based Synchronous All India Population Estimation of Elephants (SAIEE) conducted to know the ‘Status of Elephants in India (2021-25)’ throws light on elephant population and threats to their survival.
As per wild elephant estimation report of 1978-83 stated as many as 19, 558 jumbos were in the wild and the numbers saw a jump in the next estimation conducted in the country in 1993 where it was estimated 25, 569 elephants existed in the wild and the 1995 elephant estimation stated wild elephant numbers were 25, 842 and there were 26, 373 elephants in the elephant estimation exercise of 2002.
The 2007 estimation of elephants in the country was 27, 694 and a drastic jump in wild elephants number was reported in 2012 estimation wherein the country had 30, 051 elephants. The numbers fell to 29, 964 elephants in the wild in 2017 elephant estimation and further their numbers dropped to 22, 446 in the latest estimation of 2021-25.
The 2021-25 elephant estimation included Shivalik-Gangetic Plains, Central India and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats and North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains. The estimation was conducted across an extensive 400, 000 sq kms of country’s forests and was divided into 100 sq km cells using various methods.
Among the States, after Karnataka having 6013 elephants, the report stated Assam has an estimated 4,159 elephants in the wild, Tamil Nadu has an estimated 3, 136 jumbos, Kerala with an estimated 2,785 elephants, Uttarakhand has an estimated 1,792 wild elephants and Odisha of having 912 elephants, as per the Synchronous All India Population Estimation of Elephants report released.
Apart from throwing light on elephant population figures, Synchronous All India Population Estimation of Elephants mentioned the threats to jumbos survival in the wild. If elephants in Western Ghats, Shivalik and Gangetic Plains and North-Eastern Hills-Brahmaputra Plains faced threats over habitat loss and fragmentation of lands, disruption of traditional corridors by linear infrastructure, encroachment of forest areas and land use change while jumbos of Central India faced threats from mining pressures.
