In News:

• India has released the results of its first-ever DNA-based elephant population assessment under the Synchronous All-India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021–25.
• The report estimates 22,446 wild elephants, marking an 18% decline from the 2017 figure of 27,312. However, the government stresses that the numbers are not directly comparable due to a shift to a more advanced, genetic mark-recapture methodology, establishing a new population baseline.

Significance of Elephants in India

• India hosts over 60% of the global Asian elephant population, making it critical to the species’ global survival.
• Elephants are Keystone species, maintaining forest ecosystem health.
• They are deeply woven into Indian cultural, religious, and ecological heritage.

Distribution

Elephants in India inhabit four major landscapes:

Top States (2025)

• Karnataka: 6,013
• Assam: 4,159
• Tamil Nadu: 3,136
• Kerala: 2,785
• Uttarakhand: 1,792
• Odisha: 912

These states collectively support over 80% of India’s elephant population.

How the DNA-Based Census Was Conducted

This was India’s most comprehensive elephant survey to date, combining:

• DNA fingerprinting of dung samples
• Satellite mapping
• Ground-based habitat surveys

Key Technical Inputs

• ~21,000+ dung samples collected across 20 states
• 4,065 individual elephants genetically identified
• Forests divided into 100 sq km grids, further sub-divided for finer sampling—adapted from India’s tiger census model
• Survey covered 6.7 lakh km of forest trails and 3.1 lakh dung plots

This non-invasive method is statistically robust compared to earlier sighting-based estimates.

Key Findings

• Estimated Population: 22,446 (range: 18,255 – 26,645)
• Western Ghats largest stronghold
• Population decline observed, though partly attributed to more accurate methodology
• Significant habitat fragmentation and corridor disruption noted

Major Threats

• Habitat loss & fragmentation from agriculture, mining, infrastructure and linear projects
• Human-elephant conflict leading to casualties on both sides
• Poaching and retaliatory killings
• Disruption of migration corridors by rail lines, highways, power fences
• Invasive species and land-use change (especially Western Ghats and Northeast)

Legal Protection & Conservation Measures

• Status: Endangered (IUCN)
• Legal Protection: Schedule I — Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; Appendix I — CITES
• Key Initiatives
  • Project Elephant (1992)
  • 101 Elephant Corridors Programme
  • Gaj Yatra Awareness Campaign
  • Use of technology: satellite tracking, GIS, camera traps, M-STRiPES-like monitoring

The government is now working on Project Elephant 2.0 to strengthen habitat connectivity and conflict mitigation through community-based conservation.

Significance of the New Baseline

• Establishes a scientific foundation for long-term population monitoring
• Enables integration of genetic, ecological & spatial data
• Aligns with global best practices in wildlife conservation
• Crucial for revising policies on corridor protection, land-use planning, and conflict reduction