Three-State Elephant Census Successfully Concluded: Exciting Insights Await!

The synchronized elephant count, which lasted for three days, was carried out collaboratively by teams from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, and concluded today.

Volunteers, students, and forest officials utilized the waterhole count method during this massive endeavor.

This approach involves identifying significant locations such as water bodies, salt pits, and open areas that elephants frequently visit.

In total, the count covered 699 blocks, involving a workforce of 2,099 forest officials, volunteers, and students.

During the past two days, teams employed the sightings method, with each group covering a minimum distance of 15 km to document the total number of elephants in their assigned forest areas.

The synchronized approach was implemented to avoid duplicating counts, considering that elephant habitats often cross state boundaries.

Supriya Sahu, the secretary of the state forest department, explained, “We have instructed the teams to carefully record the age, sex, and other relevant details of every individual elephant observed within each block using this method.”

Experienced forest department officials conducted training sessions for volunteers and college students who took part in the count.

The survey in Tamil Nadu encompassed various reserves, including Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.

It also extended to forest areas inhabited by elephants in Salem, Dharmapuri, Vellore, and Dindigul districts.

Equipped with tools such as GPS devices, measuring tape, binoculars, cameras, and sickles, volunteers were well-prepared for the task.

They were advised to dress discreetly, avoid strong odors, maintain silence, remain alert, and keep a safe distance from wild animals.

To promote environmental responsibility, Sahu mentioned, “Volunteers have been instructed to abstain from using plastic during the count. Additionally, they are reminded not to litter forest areas with snack wrappers.”

On Thursday, the teams used the “line transect dung count” method, collecting a minimum of 60 samples of elephant dung from a single area.

It was important for the volunteers to assess the freshness of the dung pile, marking whether it was less than 24 hours old.

Teams, consisting of experts and volunteers, ventured into the field for block perambulation to collect samples. The Coimbatore forest division had approximately 40 of these teams.

During the last nationwide synchronized elephant count in 2017, there were 2,761 elephants with tusks recorded in Tamil Nadu.

For this count, the state forest department identified 708 blocks across 26 forest divisions, with 42 blocks located within the Coimbatore forest division.

Each team included personnel from the forest department, anti-poaching watchdogs, and two representatives from NGOs or college students.

“We expect to have an accurate estimate of the elephant population in the state’s forest regions within two weeks,” stated the responsible secretary.