Number of elephants in Karnataka goes up by 364 from last count, touches 6,395

• Recently, the interim report on Asian Elephant Population and Demography Estimates, 2023 was released.
• It has been prepared after a synchronised elephant census by the Karnataka Forest Department in collaboration with neighbouring states.

Key Findings - Karnataka

• Elephant Population: Increased by 346, from an estimated 6,049 in 2017 to 6,395 now, which is the highest in the country.
• Average elephant density: 0.34 per sq. km.
• Bandipur Tiger Reserve: Highest density of 0.96 per sq km (1,116 elephants)

Elephant Census 2017

• India has about 27,000 Asian Elephants, which is the world’s largest population of the species.
• Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054)
• More than 60% of the world’s elephant population is in India.
• The elephant is the Natural Heritage Animal of India.

Asian Elephants

• There are three subspecies of Asian elephant viz. the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.
• The Indian subspecies has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix I

Prelims Takeaway

• Asian Elephants
• Elephant Census
• Bandipur Tiger Reserve