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Mahesh

15/08/23 09:54 AM IST

Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Karnataka record 13,662 jumbos

In News
  • The number of elephants in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have seen a slight increase, but have almost halved for Kerala.
Major Findings
  • The three states recently released the estimates after conducting a joint survey in May 2023.
  • Karnataka’s elephants increased from 6,049 in 2017 to 6,395 in 2023, the reports showed.
  • In Tamil Nadu, there was a rise to 2,961 in 2023 from 2,761 in 2017. Meanwhile, in Kerala, the population has dropped from 9,026 to 4,306 in the same period.
  • The Kerala forest department used two methods to calculate the numbers — block count and dung count. It recorded 1,920 estimated elephants according to the block count and 2,386 with the dung count method.
  • The overall elephant population for the three states was registered to be 13,662 in 2023, compared to 17,836 in 2017.
  • The state has also witnessed deaths of 678 elephants between 2015 and 2022 and a majority of the deaths were reported among calves and juveniles.
  • The current population patterns are healthy and the male-female ratio has improved over the years.
  • The ratio was skewed in the 1980-90s due to poaching.
  • Elephants are dealing with food scarcity due to invasive species like Lantana camara.
  • Additionally, human-elephant conflicts are escalating as elephants venture into human settlements in search of food.
  • Landscape-scale planning and removing invasive species are recommended strategies.
  • To address human-elephant conflicts (HEC), artificial intelligence and rapid response teams are being employed.
  • Also, measures are being taken to increase food and water availability for elephants.
  • Climate change impacts on habitat and behavioral patterns of elephants are noted, calling for site-specific actions.
Source- DTE

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