Lok Sabha Question No. 5556 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-26
Subject: Census of Wild Animals
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Jagdambika Pal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5556

TO BE ANSWERED ON  26.07.2019

## Census of Wild Animals

## 5556.  SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

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

- (a) whether  the  census  of  the  wild  animals  has  been  carried  out  at  national  level during the last four years and the current year;
- (b) if so, the details of the census carried in the States;
- (c) whether the health of the forests is indicated solely on the basis of the census and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the forests are degrading;
- (e) if so, the schemes introduced to check the level of degradation and to maintain the required  level  and  density  of  the  forest  including  afforestation  on  the  bank  of rivers and lakes; and
- (f) the extent to which the success have been achieved as a result thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) and (b) Census  of  tigers  and  elephants  is  undertaken  at  the  national  level  once every four and five years respectively. Estimated population of tigers and elephants  as  per  the  latest  census  is  given  in  the Annexure. However, census  of  other  major  species  is  undertaken  at  the  State-level  by  the respective State/Union Territory Governments periodically.
- (c) The apex species of wild animals act as an indicator of health of the entire ecosystem like tiger being a keystone species, act as an umbrella indicating health of entire ecosystem below them.
- (d),(e) and (f) As  per  the  India  State  of  Forest  Report  (ISFR)  2017,  there  has  been  an increase of 6778 sqkm of forest cover at the national level as compared to last assessment published in ISFR 2015   (updated). The increase in forest cover is attributed to plantation and conservation activities both within and outside Recorded forest areas.

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  &  (b)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5556 REGARDING  'CENSUS OF WILD ANIMALS' BY SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL DUE FOR REPLY ON 26.7.2019.

## Details of tiger estimation pertaining to tiger landscapes in the country as per the latest census -2014

| State                                                                | Tiger Population 2014                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            | Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            |
| Uttarakhand                                                          | 340                                                                  |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                        | 117                                                                  |
| Bihar                                                                | 28                                                                   |
| Shivalik Gangetic                                                    | 485                                                                  |
| Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex | Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex |
| Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana)                                 | 68                                                                   |
| Chhattisgarh                                                         | 46                                                                   |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                       | 308                                                                  |
| Maharashtra                                                          | 190                                                                  |
| Odisha                                                               | 28                                                                   |
| Rajasthan                                                            | 45                                                                   |
| Jharkhand                                                            | 3*                                                                   |
| Central India                                                        | 688                                                                  |
| Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      | Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      |
| Karnataka                                                            | 406                                                                  |
| Kerala                                                               | 136                                                                  |
| Tamil Nadu                                                           | 229                                                                  |
| Goa                                                                  | 5                                                                    |
| Western Ghats                                                        | 776                                                                  |
| North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     | North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     |
| Assam                                                                | 167                                                                  |
| Arunachal Pradesh                                                    | 28 ♣                                                                 |
| Mizoram                                                              | 3*                                                                   |
| North West Bengal                                                    | 3                                                                    |
| North East Hills, and Brahmaputra                                    | 201                                                                  |
| Sunderbans                                                           | 76                                                                   |
| TOTAL                                                                | 2226                                                                 |

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  &  (b)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.5556 REGARDING  'CENSUS OF WILD ANIMALS' BY SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL DUE FOR REPLY ON 26.7.2019.

## State-wise Population Estimation of Elephants in India as per census conducted during 2017

| REGION              | STATE                      | ELEPHANT POPULATION   |
|---------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------|
| North-East          | Arunachal Pradesh          | 1614                  |
| North-East          | Assam                      | 5719                  |
| North-East          | Meghalaya                  | 1754                  |
| North-East          | Tripura                    | 102*                  |
| North-East          | Nagaland                   | 446*                  |
| North-East          | West Bengal (North Region) | 488                   |
| North-East          | Manipur                    | 9                     |
| North-East          | Mizoram                    | 7                     |
| North-East          |                            | 10,139                |
| East Central Region | Odisha                     | 1976                  |
| East Central Region | Jharkhand                  | 679                   |
| East Central Region | Chhattisgarh               | 247                   |
| East Central Region | Bihar                      | 25                    |
| East Central Region | Madhya Pradesh             | 7                     |
| East Central Region | West Bengal (South Region) | 194                   |
| East Central Region |                            | 3128                  |
| North West Region   | Uttarakhand                | 1839                  |
| North West Region   | Uttar Pradesh              | 232                   |
| North West Region   | Haryana                    | 7                     |
| North West Region   | Himachal                   | 7                     |
| North West Region   |                            | 2085                  |
| South Region        | Karnataka                  | 6049                  |
| South Region        | Kerala                     | 5706*                 |
| South Region        | Maharashtra                | 6                     |
| South Region        | Andhra Pradesh             | 65                    |
| South Region        | Andaman &Nicobar Islands   | 25*                   |
| South Region        | Tamil Nadu                 | 2761                  |
| South Region        |                            | 14612                 |
| GRAND TOTAL         | GRAND TOTAL                | 29964                 |

# The total census figures for West Bengal is 682 (North Bengal (488) + South Bengal(194)).

*  Results are based on indirect (dung) count method as direct counts could not be carried out as informed by State & UTs like Kerala, Nagaland, Tripura and A&N Islands.