Lok Sabha Question No. 4222 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-28
Subject: Elephant Population
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: P.K.SREEMATHI TEACHER

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4222

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.03.2017

## Elephant Population

## 4222.  SHRIMATI P.K. SREEMATHI TEACHER:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the number and species of Elephants found in the country, State-wise;
- (b) the trend in Elephant population and projected increase/decline in the coming years; and
- (c) the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  the  Elephant  population  in  the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) Only one species, Indian Elephant ( Elephas Maximus Indicus ) is found in the country. As  per  2012  census,  elephant  population  in  the  country  is  29391-30711.  State-wise elephant population is given in Annexure.
- (b) As per available information elephant population in the country is increasing.
- (c) Measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  elephant  population  in  the  country  are given below:
- (i) Financial  and  technical  assistance  is  provided  to  elephant  range  states  under  the Centrally Sponsored Schemes 'Project Elephant' for conservation and management of  elephants,  protection  of  elephant  habitat  and  corridors  and  welfare  of  captive elephants.
- (ii) The  State  has  notified  good  elephant  habitats  as  'Elephant  Reserves',  for  better conservation and management of elephants.  So far 29 Elephant Reserves have been established in 14 States.
- (iii) Elephant  is  included  under  Schedule  I  of  the  Wildlife  Protection  Act,  1972,  to provide it highest degree of legal protection.
- (iv) Regular  and  extensive  patrolling  of  forest  areas  and  anti  poaching  measures  by frontline filed staff of the State Forest Departments.
- (v) Trainings  and  awareness  camps  are  organised  regularly  for  local people  for conservation of wildlife.
- (vi) Local  communities  are  organised  into  Joint  Forest  Management  Committees/Ecodevelopment  Committees  for  protection  of  wildlife  habitat,  including  elephant corridors.
- (vii) Habitat  improvement  and  eco-restoration  is  taken  up  in  critical  areas  of  elephant reserves and corridors.

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## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4222 RAISED BY SHRIMATI P.K.  SHREEMATHI TEACHER REGARDING 'ELEPHANT POPULATION' DUE FOR REPLY ON 28.03.2017.

## Population of wild elephants as reported by States

| REGION      | STATE               | ELEPHANT POPULATION   | ELEPHANT POPULATION   |
|-------------|---------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|             |                     | 2007                  | 2012                  |
| North-East  | Arunachal Pradesh   | 1690                  | 890                   |
|             | Assam               | 5281                  | 5620                  |
|             | Meghalaya           | 1811                  | 1811*                 |
|             | Nagaland            | 152                   | 212                   |
|             | Mizoram             | 12                    | -                     |
|             | Manipur             | -                     | -                     |
|             | Tripura             | 59                    | 59                    |
|             | West Bengal (North) | 300-350               | 647                   |
| Sub total   |                     | 9305-9355             | 9239                  |
| East        | West Bengal (South) | 25                    | #                     |
|             | Jharkhand           | 624                   | 688                   |
|             | Orissa              | 1862                  | 1930                  |
|             | Chhattisgarh        | 122                   | 247                   |
| Sub total   |                     | 2633                  | 2865                  |
| North       | Uttarakhand         | 1346                  | 1346*                 |
|             | Uttar Pradesh       | 380                   | 291                   |
| Sub total   |                     | 1726                  | 1637                  |
| South       | Tamil Nadu          | 3867                  | 4015                  |
|             | Karnataka           | 4035                  | 5648-6488             |
|             | Kerala              | 6068                  | 5942-6422             |
|             | Andhra Pradesh      | 28                    | 41                    |
|             | Maharashtra         | 7                     | 4                     |
| Sub total   |                     | 14005                 | 15650-16970           |
| GRAND TOTAL |                     | 27669-27719           | 29391-30711           |

- # The figure for North and South Bengals are combined.