Elephant census delayed in northeast; final count likely in June 2025
elephant census, as the population estimation has been delayed in some northeastern states, sources said. Wild elephants are found in forested, hilly tracts across four regions of India: the foothills of the Himalayas in the north, the northeastern states, east-central India, and the Western and Eastern Ghats in the southern parts of the country.
A source told PTI that data collection and analysis from the northeast have not yet been completed.
The primary reasons for the delay in the region are «heavy monsoon rains, floods and the limited capacity» of the forest staff, the sources added.
The entire process involves creating shapefiles, capacity building, data collection, and data processing.
As a result, the numbers from the latest elephant estimation exercise will only be available by June next year, they said.
SM Sahai, the Chief Wildlife Warden of Meghalaya, told PTI that the elephant population estimation using the new methodology is taking some time.
Sandeep Kumar, the Chief Wildlife Warden of Assam, said that in addition to the difficult terrain, monsoonal rains, and floods, the exercise took longer because the department also included revenue areas frequented by elephants, along with forest areas.
In 2021, the Union Environment Ministry announced a new methodology for conducting the census — collecting and analysing DNA samples from elephant dung, supplemented by camera trap results.
According to officials, previous elephant censuses primarily involved a head count of the animals across the country.
