The forest department has concluded the field exercise for counting of elephants in the State. While the results of count are expected to be calculated the finalised in a couple of months, observers point out that shrinking and fragmented habitat pose major challenges to the pachyderm population of the state.
Using the dung decay method and direct sightings, the state forest department undertook a count of elephants in the Corbett and Rajaji tiger reserves along with 11 forest divisions of the state where the elephants are found. The count which concluded on the weekend has given the authorities some positive trends about the pachyderm population though the officials stress that conclusions will be reached in a couple of months after the information collected in the count is studied and finalised with the help of Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. If sources are to be believed, during the count which started earlier this month, the number of pachyderms sighted and counted in areas like the Rajaji tiger reserve has given grounds to believe that there might be an increase in the population of elephants in the state. During the last count, the elephant population in Uttarakhand had been placed at about 1,800. At present, the officials state it would be better to wait for the results of the exercise than to jump to conclusions prematurely.
It should be mentioned here that the elephant count comes at a time when the pachyderm population of Uttarakhand faces the problems resulting from fragmentation of habitat, blocked wildlife corridors and dwindling fodder in the forests.
Though the last exercise had placed the pachyderm population at about 1,800, in 2007, the state’s elephant population was placed at 1346 which was 164 elephants less than the 1510 counted in the 2005 census. The elephant population estimated in Uttarakhand in 2003 was 1582.
It is pertinent to mention here that while the tiger elicits major focus in wildlife conservation efforts at the State and national levels, wildlife activists point out that the elephant population is suffering from the results of protracted inefficiency of the authorities in tackling the problems being faced by the pachyderm population. In Uttarakhand, the elephants face various problems as the corridors used traditionally by many generations of elephants have now been blocked by constructions and encroachments further shrinking the elephant’s habitat.
Due to dwindling quantity and variety of fodder in the jungles for the elephants, the incidents of elephants raiding farms especially those near their traditional wildlife corridors have seen a rise in the State. Recent months have also seen incidents like two elephants being killed after being hit by a train in the Kumaon region of Terai. Such incidents are being attributed to habitat fragmentation with the state authorities yet to take concrete action to address such situations.
The department has constructed security walls, dug ditches and installed solar fencing to keep elephants away from human settlements and farms to mitigate human-wildlife conflict but environmentalists point out that more effort is needed to ensure adequate fodder for elephants in the jungles and opening up the wildlife corridors so that the elephant population of the state can co-exist without major conflict with humans.