Elephant Reserves
(Photo: Sudip Banerjee, Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand)
Elephant Reserves
The Indian elephant Elephas maximus occurs in the central and southern Western Ghats, North-east India, eastern India and northern India and in some parts of southern peninsular India. It is included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES). It occurs in 16 of the 28 states in the country and is showing an increasing trend across its distributional range. Its population in 2007 was estimated to be in the range from 27,657 to 27,682, whereas in 2012 the population was estimated to be between 27,785 and 31,368. The state-wise population estimates are given in table below:
Elephant (Elephas maximus) population estimates for 2007 and 2012
|
Sl.No.
|
States
|
Elephant Population
|
|
2007
|
2012
|
|
1
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
1690
|
1690*
|
|
2
|
Assam
|
5281
|
5281*
|
|
3
|
Meghalaya
|
1811
|
1811*
|
|
4
|
Nagaland
|
152
|
212
|
|
5
|
Tripura
|
59
|
59*
|
|
6
|
West Bengal
|
325-350
|
325-350*
|
|
7
|
Jharkhand
|
624
|
688
|
|
8
|
Odisha
|
1862
|
1930
|
|
9
|
Chattisgarh
|
122
|
215
|
|
10
|
Uttarakhand
|
1346
|
1346*
|
|
11
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
380
|
380
|
|
12
|
Tamil Nadu
|
3867
|
3726
|
|
13
|
Karnataka
|
4035
|
3900-7458**
|
|
14
|
Kerela
|
6068
|
6177
|
|
15
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
28
|
41
|
|
16
|
Maharshtra
|
7
|
4
|
|
|
|
27657-27682
|
27785-31368
|
(Source: MoEF, 2013)
*Census figure as per 2007. The census report of 2012 is still awaited from the States
**3900-7458 (Confidence Limits)
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PROJECT ELEPHANT was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:
1. To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors
2. To address issues of man-animal conflict
3. Welfare of captive elephants
The Project is being mainly implemented in 16 States / UTs , viz. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides the financial and technical support to major elephant range states in the country through Project Elephant.
(Download pdf)Securing the Future for Elephants in India, The Report of the Elephant Task Force, Ministry of Environment and Forests, August 31, 2010
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List of Landscape and Elephant Reserves in India with 2005 Census Population
|
Sl.
No.
|
Elephant Range
|
Elephant Reserve
|
Date of Notification
|
State
|
Total Area (Sq. Km)
|
P.A. in ER (Sq. Km)
|
Population in 2005
|
|
1
|
East-Central Landscape
|
1. Mayurjharna ER
|
24.10.02
|
West Bengal
|
414
|
|
96
|
|
|
(South-West Bengal-
|
2. Singhbhum ER
|
26.9.01
|
Jharkhand
|
4530
|
193
|
371
|
|
|
Jharkhand - Orissa)
|
3. Mayurbhanj ER
|
29.9.01
|
Orissa
|
3214
|
1309
|
465
|
|
|
|
4. Mahanadi ER *
|
20.7.02
|
Orissa
|
1038
|
964
|
464
|
|
|
|
5. Sambalpur ER *
|
27.3.02
|
Orissa
|
427
|
427
|
284
|
|
|
|
6. Baitami ER #
|
|
Orissa
|
1755
|
|
108
|
|
|
|
7. South Orissa ER #
|
|
Orissa
|
4216
|
750
|
138
|
|
|
|
8. Lemru ER #
|
|
Chhattishgarh
|
450
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
9. Badalkhol - Tamorpingla ER
|
|
Chhattishgarh
|
1048.3
|
1154.93
|
-
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
17092.3
|
4797.93
|
1926
|
|
2
|
Kameng-Sonitpur Landscape
|
10. Kameng ER
|
19.6.02
|
Arunachal
|
1892
|
748
|
|
|
|
(Arunachal - Assam)
|
11. Sonitpur ER *
|
6.3.03
|
Assam
|
1420
|
420
|
612
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
3312
|
1168
|
612
|
|
3
|
Eastern-South Bank Landscape
|
12. Dihing-Patkai ER
|
17.4.03
|
Assam
|
937
|
345
|
295
|
|
|
(Assam - Arunachal)
|
13. South Arunachal ER
|
29.2.08
|
Arunachal
|
1957.5
|
378.13
|
129
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
2894.5
|
723.13
|
424
|
|
4
|
Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong-Intanki Landscape
|
14. Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong ER
|
17.4.03
|
Assam
|
3270
|
1073
|
1940
|
|
|
(Assam - Nagaland)
|
15. Dhansiri-Lungding ER
|
19.4.03
|
Assam
|
2740
|
|
275
|
|
|
|
16. Intanki ER
|
28.2.05
|
Nagaland
|
202
|
202
|
30
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
6212
|
1275
|
2245
|
|
5
|
North Bengal- Greater Manas Landscape
|
17. Chirang-Ripu ER
|
7.3.03
|
Assam
|
2600
|
526
|
658
|
|
|
(Assam - West Bengal)
|
18. Eastern Dooars ER
|
28.8.02
|
West Bengal
|
978
|
484
|
300-350
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
3578
|
1010
|
1008
|
|
6
|
Meghalaya Landscape
|
19. Garo Hills ER
|
31.10.01
|
Meghalaya
|
3500
|
402
|
1047
|
|
|
(Meghalaya)
|
20. Khasi-hills ER #
|
|
Meghalaya
|
1331
|
|
383
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
4831
|
402
|
1430
|
|
7
|
Brahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghat Landscape
|
21. Mysore ER
|
25.11.02
|
Karnataka
|
6724
|
3103
|
4452
|
|
|
(Karnataka - Kerala-
|
22. Wayanad ER
|
2.4.02
|
Kerala
|
1200
|
394
|
636
|
|
|
Tamilnadu- Andhra)
|
23. Nilgiri ER
|
19.9.03
|
Tamil Nadu
|
4663
|
716
|
2862
|
|
|
|
24. Rayala ER
|
9.12.03
|
Andhra
|
766
|
525
|
12
|
|
|
|
25. Nilambur ER
|
2.4.02
|
Kerala
|
1419
|
90
|
281
|
|
|
|
26. Coimbatore ER
|
19.9.03
|
Tamil Nadu
|
566
|
482
|
329
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
15338
|
5310
|
8572
|
|
8
|
Anamalai-Nelliampathy- High Range Landscape
|
27. Anamalai ER
|
19.9.03
|
Tamil Nadu
|
1457
|
300
|
179
|
|
|
(Tamilnadu - Kerala)
|
28. Anamudi ER
|
2.4.02
|
Kerala
|
3728
|
780
|
1726
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
5185
|
1080
|
1905
|
|
9
|
Periyar-Agasthyamalai Landscape
|
29. Periyar ER
|
2.4.02
|
Kerala
|
3742
|
1058
|
1100
|
|
|
(Kerala - Tamilnadu)
|
30. Srivilliputhur ER
|
19.9.03
|
Tamil Nadu
|
1249
|
568
|
638
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
4991
|
1626
|
1738
|
|
10
|
North-Western Landscape
|
31. Shivalik ER
|
28.10.02
|
Uttarakhand
|
5405
|
1340
|
1510
|
|
|
(Uttarakhand - Uttar Pradesh)
|
32. Uttar Pradesh ER
|
9.9.09
|
U.P.
|
744
|
|
NA
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
6149
|
1340
|
1510
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
|
|
69,582.80
|
18,732.06
|
21,370
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
# Approved by Govt. of India, but not yet notified by the State Government
|
|
|
* Proposal for extension approved by GOI, but not yet notified by the state
|
(Source: Elephant Task Force Report of MoEF, August 2010)