Project Elephant


Project Elephant was launched in 1992 by the Government of India Ministry of Environment and Forests to provide financial and technical support to wildlife management efforts by states for their free-ranging populations of wild Asian Elephants. The project aims to ensure the long-term survival to the populations of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting the elephants, their habitats and migration corridors. Other goals of Project Elephant are supporting the research of the ecology and management of elephants, creating awareness of conservation among local people, providing improved veterinary care for captive elephants.

Objectives

Project Elephant was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:
Financial support is being provided to major elephant bearing States in the country. 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. Main activities under the Project are as follows:
As of 2010, 32 Elephant Reserves extending over about have been formally notified by various State Governments. The list of Elephant Reserves with area and elephant population is as follows:
S.No.Reserve NameRangeEstd.StateTotal area Population
1MayurjharnaEast-Central2002West Bengal41496
2SinghbhumEast-Central2001Jharkhand4,530371
3MayurbhanjEast-Central2001Orissa3.214465
4MahanadiEast-Central2002Orissa1,038464
5SambalpurEast-Central2002Orissa427336
6BaitarniEast-CentralOrissa1,755108
7South OrissaEast-CentralOrissa1,049138
8LemruEast-CentralChhattisgarh450
9Badalkhol-TamorpinglaEast-CentralChhattisgarh4,216138
10KamengKameng-Sonitpur2002Arunachal Pradesh1,892
11SonitpurKameng-Sonitpur2003Assam1,420612
12Dihing-PatkaiEastern-South2003Assam937295
13South ArunachalEastern-SouthArunachal Pradesh900+129
14Kaziranga-Karbi AnglongKaziranga2003Assam3,2701,940
15Dhansiri-LungdingKaziranga2003Assam2,740275
16IntankiKaziranga2005Nagaland20230
17Chirang-RipuNorth Bengal-Greater Manas2003Assam2,600658
18Eastern DooarsNorth Bengal-Greater Manas2002West Bengal978300-350
19Garo HillsMeghalaya2001Meghalaya3,5001,047
20Khasi HillsMeghalayaMeghalaya1,331383
21MysoreBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2002Karnataka6,7244,452
22WayanadBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2002Kerala1,200636
23NilgiriBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2003Tamil Nadu4,6632,862
24RayalaBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2003Andhra Pradesh76612
25NilamburBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2002Kerala1,419281
26CoimbatoreBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2003Tamil Nadu566329
27AnamalaiAnamalai-Nelliampathy-High Range2003Tamil Nadu1,457179
28AnamudiAnamalai-Nelliampathy-High Range2002Kerala3,7281,547
29PeriyarPeriyar-Agasthyamalai2002Kerala3,7421,100
30SrivilliputturPeriyar-Agasthyamalai2003Tamil Nadu1,249638
31ShivalikNorth-Western2003Uttarakhand5,4051,610
32Uttar PradeshNorth-Western2009Uttar Pradesh744
Project ElephantTotal69,58321,370

Enumeration

The first exclusive exercise for enumeration of wild elephants in the ERs was conducted during February to May 2005. This exercise also sought to experiment with two sampling methods, viz. Block sampling and Line transect-Dung Count. PE arranged for training of trainers and also issued detailed guidelines to the chief wildlife wardens and the field coordinators. Total population of elephants in 2005 was nearly 21,200. The latest census carried out in 2012 put elephant numbers between 28,785and 31,368.

Monitoring against poaching

Project Elephant has been formally implementing MIKE programme of CITES in 10 ERs since January 2004. It is mandated by COP resolution of CITES. Project Elephant was started in South Asia in 2003 with the following purposes:
Data are collected from all sites on monthly basis in specified MIKE patrol form and submitted to Sub-Regional Support Office for South Asia Programme in Delhi who are assisting Ministry in implementation of the programme.

Research

PE did a 36-months research with the help of the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, for developing high yielding varieties of paddy not relished by elephants; developing elephant-proof storage bins for food grains; and developing elephant repellents. The project is being carried out at the CRRI's research stations in Orissa and Assam. Two projects with the help of the Assam Agricultural University on "Disease management in captive elephants" and "Anatomical studies on the Asian elephant" were conducted. PE entrusted WII with a small project to study the impact of the relocation of the Gujjar on the flora and fauna of Rajaji National Park and with the Indian Statistical Institute helped the West Bengal Forest Department carry out a sample-based enumeration of elephants during 2005.
PE has also imbibed the use of eco-tourism for generating extra revenue for the welfare of captive breeding programmes for elephants. PE has been organizing regular refresher courses for veterinarians dealing with wild and domesticated elephants at Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur and Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati. PE has initiated a programme for registration of domesticated elephants by using microchips. More than 1000 elephants have been microchipped so far in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar and Delhi etc. PE has organized necessary training for this purpose and also arranged for supply of standard microchips and readers to all the States known to possess domesticated elephants.

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