Wild elephants or Indian Wild Elephants are spread in many states of India. But, they are found mostly in North East, North West, East, and Southern India. Badly persecuted for their tusks considered an aphrodisiac, and for ivory-based artifacts, their number had gone precariously low. The tusks were also considered as a money transfer from India to other countries where they could be sold to obtain cash.
Once widespread all over the forests of the country their
population has reduced, and it stands a little over 30,000. Thanks, to the
Project Elephant Program and the ban on hunting the population of the
pachyderm, is increasing and they are being sighted in their previous habitats.
For example, there have been sightings of herds in Bandhavgarh, Kanha, and neighboring
forests. These animals were never heard of in these areas.
Project Elephant
Launched in the year 1992 by the Ministry of Environment and
Forests (MOEF) to provide financial and wildlife management support the program
is doing well.
- It was launched as Central Government Scheme;
- Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objective
- To protect elephants, their habitat, and corridors.
- To address issues of man-animal conflict.
- The welfare of captive elephants
- to promote not to harm elephants for their tusks.
More elephant conservation initiatives are being carried out
to protect the species in India.
Indian Vs African Elephant
Indian or Asiatic Elephant differs morphologically from
African Elephant. The former prefers dense forests while the latter prefers
savannah grasslands. Most of the biological features and social life is nearly
similar.
Distribution of elephants in India.
The population in the country stands between 27,785–31,368.
They are found in the Northwest Uttarakhand and Uttar
Pradesh.
They are found in the Northeast – from the border of Nepal
in Northern West Bengal, West Assam plains extending into eastern Arunachal
Pradesh, the foothills of Nagaland, and Meghalaya. Small herds occur in
Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur
They are found In the central part – in Odisha, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The entry into Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh
has been recent.
in the South, they are found in Karnataka, Kerala Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil
Nadu.
Elephant Tourism
Though nothing compared with tiger tourism in the country
elephant tourism is not uncommon. Tourists on tiger safari often seek wild
elephants at Corbett National Park and Periyar Tiger Reserve. Other places where
the pachyderms are seen in the wild are:
- Singhbhum Elephant Reserve
- Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve
- Garo Hills Elephant Reserve
- Anamudi Elephant Reserve
- Chirang-Ripu
- Mahanadi
- Thekkapakadu
- Punnatthurkotta, Guruvayoor
- Dubare
Most of these destinations are elephant reserves while many
are camps that display the wild pachyderms. Although not as popular as tiger
reserve still a large number of these giants can be seen in the country. Post January elephant sighting at Corbett increases. This attracts a lot of tourists to the reserve. Elephants descend to the foothills as vegetation becomes scarce and winter is at its peak.
