Project Elephant

Project Elephant was launched in 1992 by the Government of India Ministry of Environment and Forests to provide financial and technical support to wildlife management efforts by states for their free-ranging populations of wild Asian Elephants. The project aims to ensure the long-term survival to the populations of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting the elephants, their habitats and migration corridors. Other goals of Project Elephant are supporting the research of the ecology and management of elephants, creating awareness of conservation among local people, providing improved veterinary care for captive elephants.[1][2]

Objectives

Project Elephant (PE) was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:[1][2]

  • To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors.
  • To address issues of man-animal conflict.
  • Welfare of captive elephants


Activities

Financial support is being provided to major elephant bearing States in the country. The Project is being mainly implemented in 16 States / UTs, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. Main activities under the Project are as follows:[1][2]

  • Ecological restoration of existing natural habitats and migratory routes of elephants are builder
  • Development of scientific and planned management for conservation of elephant habitats and viable population of Wild Asiatic elephants in India;
  • Promotion of measures for mitigation of man-elephant conflict in crucial habitats and moderating pressures of human and domestic stock activities in crucial elephant habitats;
  • Strengthening of measures for the protection of Wild elephants from poachers and unnatural causes of death;
  • Research on Elephant management related issues;
  • Public education and awareness programmes;
  • Eco-development
  • Veterinary care
  • Elephant Rehabilitation/Rescue Centers

As of 2010, 32 Elephant Reserves (ERs) extending over about 58,000 square kilometres (22,000 sq mi) have been formally notified by various State Governments.[3] The list of Elephant Reserves with area and elephant population is as follows:[4]

Elephant reserves of Project Elephant in India (2005)
S.No.Reserve NameRangeEstd.StateTotal area (kmĀ²)Population
1 MayurjharnaEast-Central2002West Bengal41496
2 SinghbhumEast-Central2001Jharkhand4,530371
3 MayurbhanjEast-Central2001Orissa3.214465
4 MahanadiEast-Central2002Orissa1,038464
5 SambalpurEast-Central2002Orissa427336
6 BaitarniEast-CentralOrissa1,755108
7 South OrissaEast-CentralOrissa1,049138
8 LemruEast-CentralChhattisgarh450
9 Badalkhol-TamorpinglaEast-CentralChhattisgarh4,216138
10 KamengKameng-Sonitpur2002Arunachal Pradesh1,892
11 SonitpurKameng-Sonitpur2003Assam1,420612
12 Dihing-PatkaiEastern-South2003Assam937295
13 South ArunachalEastern-SouthArunachal Pradesh900+129
14 Kaziranga-Karbi AnglongKaziranga2003Assam3,2701,940
15 Dhansiri-LungdingKaziranga2003Assam2,740275
16 IntankiKaziranga2005Nagaland20230
17 Chirang-RipuNorth Bengal-Greater Manas2003Assam2,600658
18 Eastern DooarsNorth Bengal-Greater Manas2002West Bengal978300-350
19 Garo HillsMeghalaya2001Meghalaya3,5001,047
20 Khasi HillsMeghalayaMeghalaya1,331383
21 MysoreBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2002Karnataka6,7244,452
22 WayanadBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2002Kerala1,200636
23 NilgiriBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2003Tamil Nadu4,6632,862
24 RayalaBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2003Andhra Pradesh76612
25 NilamburBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2002Kerala1,419281
26 CoimbatoreBrahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats2003Tamil Nadu566329
27 AnamalaiAnamalai-Nelliampathy-High Range2003Tamil Nadu1,457179
28 AnamudiAnamalai-Nelliampathy-High Range2002Kerala3,7281,547
29 PeriyarPeriyar-Agasthyamalai2002Kerala3,7421,100
30 SrivilliputturPeriyar-Agasthyamalai2003Tamil Nadu1,249638
31 Shivalik[5]North-Western2003Uttarakhand5,4051,610
32 Uttar PradeshNorth-Western2009Uttar Pradesh744
Project ElephantTotal69,58321,370

Enumeration

The first exclusive exercise for enumeration of wild elephants in the ERs was conducted during February to May 2005. This exercise also sought to experiment with two sampling methods, viz. Block sampling and Line transect-Dung Count. PE arranged for training of trainers and also issued detailed guidelines to the chief wildlife wardens and the field coordinators. Total population of elephants in 2005 was nearly 21,200.[4] The latest census carried out in 2012 put elephant numbers between 28,785and 31,368.[2][3]

Monitoring against poaching

Project Elephant has been formally implementing MIKE (Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants) programme of CITES in 10 ERs since January 2004. It is mandated by COP resolution of CITES. Project Elephant was started in South Asia in 2003 with the following purposes:[1][2]

  • To measure levels and trends in illegal hunting of elephants.
  • To determine changes in these trends over time.
  • To determine the factors causing or associated with these changes and to try and assess in particular to what extent observed trends are a result of any decisions taken by the Conference of the Parties to CITES.

Data are collected from all sites on monthly basis in specified MIKE patrol form and submitted to Sub-Regional Support Office for South Asia Programme in Delhi who are assisting Ministry in implementation of the programme.

Research

PE did a 36-months research (2003-04 to 2006-07) with the help of the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack, for developing high yielding varieties of paddy not relished by elephants; developing elephant-proof storage bins for food grains; and developing elephant repellents. The project is being carried out at the CRRI's research stations in Orissa and Assam. Two projects (2003-04 to 2006-07) with the help of the Assam Agricultural University on "Disease management in captive elephants" and "Anatomical studies on the Asian elephant" were conducted. PE entrusted WII with a small project (2004-05 to 2005-06) to study the impact of the relocation of the Gujjar on the flora and fauna of Rajaji National Park and with the Indian Statistical Institute helped the West Bengal Forest Department carry out a sample-based enumeration of elephants during 2005.[1]

PE has also imbibed the use of eco-tourism for generating extra revenue for the welfare of captive breeding programmes for elephants. PE has been organizing regular refresher courses for veterinarians dealing with wild and domesticated elephants at Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur and Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati. PE has initiated a programme for registration of domesticated elephants by using microchips. More than 1000 elephants have been microchipped so far in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar and Delhi etc. PE has organized necessary training for this purpose and also arranged for supply of standard microchips and readers to all the States known to possess domesticated elephants.[1][2]

More about PE

  • PE has produced a 58 minutes video-documentary "Living with the Giants" on elephant conservation in India

See also

References

  1. "Project Elephant". wildlifeofindia.org. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  2. "Project Elephant". Government of India. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  3. "Elephant Reserves". ENVIS Centre on Wildlife & Protected Areas. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  4. "Census population 2005" (PDF). Note on Project Elephant. Ministry of Environment and Forests. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  5. "Shivakik Elephant Reserve" (PDF).
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