Write note on Project Elephant.

Write note on Project Elephant.

10
Jun

Elephant  is the largest terrestrial mammal of India . Elephant being wide ranging animal requires large areas. The requirement of food and water for elephants are very high and therefore their population can be supported only by forests that are under optimal conditions. The status of elephant can be the best indicator of the status of the forests. About 60% of the Asian elephant population is in India. However current distribution of wild elephant in India is confined to South India; North East including North West Bengal; Central Indian states of Orissa , South WB and Jharkhand; and North West India in Uttarakahnd and UP.

Project Elephant (PE) 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
   • Global Stronghold: India is home to over 60% of the world’s wild Asian elephant population. It was officially declared India’s National Heritage Animal in 2010.
   • Ecological Indicators: Because elephants require massive amounts of daily food and water, their survival relies on thriving, optimal forest ecosystems. Healthy elephant numbers directly indicate a healthy forest.
   • Geographic Distribution: Wild populations are confined to four major fragmented landscapes:
     • South India: Strongest populations, focused along the Western Ghats (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh).
     • North-East India: Heavy concentrations in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Northern West Bengal.
     • Central India: Highly fragmented groups moving through Odisha, Jharkhand, Southern West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh.
     • North-West India: Located in the Terai and Shivalik foothills of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Project Elephant (Launched 1992)

Project Elephant is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme providing financial and technical backing to major elephant-bearing states.

Core Objectives:

1. 1. Habitat & Corridor Protection: Securing pristine forest habitats and the narrow migration pathways (corridors) elephants use to travel between them.
   2. Conflict Mitigation: Resolving and managing the socio-economic issues surrounding human-elephant conflict (HEC).
   3. Captive Welfare: Monitoring and ensuring the humane treatment of domesticated/captive elephants.

📊 Census Update: While traditional visual counts previously estimated around 29,964 elephants, India recently launched its first scientific, DNA-based elephant census. This has established a highly precise, reliable modern baseline of 22,446 wild elephants—with Karnataka leading as the state with the highest population.

 Elephant Reserves (ERs) in India

While your notes mention 28 reserves, intense conservation scaling has expanded this network significantly. India now boasts 33 officially notified Elephant Reserves protecting over 80,000 sq. km of forest.

Note: The Dandeli ER (Karnataka) and Khasi Hills ER (Meghalaya) mentioned in your text as “pending” have since been formally notified and integrated into the official list.

The MIKE Program (Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants)

Mandated globally by the CITES Conference of Parties, the MIKE program was established in South Asia in 2003. It collects monthly patrol logs to map poaching patterns, understand the driving forces behind illegal trade, and give local rangers better data for enforcement. The Sub-Regional Support Office in New Delhi oversees India’s sites.

There are 10 designated MIKE Sites across India:

1. Chirang-Ripu (Assam)
2. Dihing Patkai (Spelled “Dhang Patki” in earlier drafts) (Assam)
3. Eastern Dooars (West Bengal)
4. Deomali (Arunachal Pradesh)
5. Garo Hills (Meghalaya)
6. Mayurbhanj (Odisha)
7. Mysore (Karnataka)
8. Nilgiri (Tamil Nadu)
9. Shivalik (Uttarakhand)
10. Wayanad (Kerala)

Are you organizing these notes to study for a specific competitive exam, or is there a particular regional landscape or elephant corridor issue you would like to explore deeper?