WII releases ‘Status of Elephants in India’

The report titled ‘Status of Elephants in India: DNA-based Synchronous All-India Population Estimation of Elephants’ was released by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun on October 14, 2025.

Methodology:

• Population estimated using DNA-based mark-recapture method, similar to tiger monitoring, for the first time in India.
• Survey period: 2021–2025.

All-India Estimate:

• Total elephants: 22,466.

Statewise Distribution:

• Karnataka: 6,013 (range 4,792–7,235)
• Assam: 4,159 (range 3,395–4,924)
• Tamil Nadu: 3,136 (range 2,688–3,585)
• Collectively: These three states hold 13,308 elephants (~59% of total).

Southern India (Western Ghats) Landscape:

• Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala (2,785 elephants) → 11,934 elephants (53.17%)

North-East Hills & Brahmaputra Flood Plains Landscape:

• States: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, northern West Bengal
• Elephants: 6,559 → 22.22% of national population

Other Landscapes:

• Shivalik Hills & Gangetic Plains: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar → 9.18% of population
• Central India & Eastern Ghats: Seven states including Andhra Pradesh & southern West Bengal → 8.42%

Significance:

• Provides accurate, DNA-based baseline data for elephant conservation.
• Highlights critical habitats in Western Ghats and North-East India.
• Enables targeted conservation and management strategies across landscapes.

(Source)