News: Recently, the Synchronous All India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021–25 was released by Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
About All-India Synchronous Elephant Estimation 2025
- The SAIEE 2021–25 is India’s latest national census for Asian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus).
- It provides a new population baseline due to a shift in methodology from earlier estimation techniques.
- Conducted by: Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in coordination with state forest departments, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and various research institutions.
- Released by: Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
- The SAIEE 2021–25 adopted a new survey design. For the first time, the estimation used a genetic mark–recapture model to identify individual elephants.
Key Findings of the Survey
- Total population: The total population of elephants in India has been estimated at 22,446 individuals in 2025.
- Compared to the 2017 estimate of 27,312 elephants, this shows a decrease of about 17.81 percent (or 4,065 elephants).
- The figures are not directly comparable because of the adoption of a new scientific method, and the current number should be treated as a new population baseline.
- Regional Distribution
- The highest number of elephants, 11,934, are found in the Western Ghats region.
- The North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra floodplains host around 6,559 elephants.
- The Shivalik Hills and Gangetic plains support approximately 2,062 elephants.
- The Central India and Eastern Ghats region has an estimated 1,891 elephants.
- State-wise Distribution:
- Karnataka continues to have the largest elephant population in India, with 6,013 elephants.
- Assam ranks second with 4,159 elephants, followed by Tamil Nadu with 3,136 elephants.
- Kerala has 2,785 elephants, Uttarakhand has 1,792, and Odisha has 912 elephants.
- Together, these states account for the majority of India’s wild elephant population.
- Conservation Challenges Identified:
- The report highlights serious habitat fragmentation and the loss of traditional elephant corridors due to urbanization and agricultural expansion.
- It notes that railway lines, highways, and power infrastructure have disrupted elephant movement and caused rising cases of accidents and conflicts.
- Encroachments, fencing of farmlands, and plantation expansion in the Western Ghats have further isolated elephant populations.
- In Central India, mining operations pose a major threat to elephant habitats.
- The Northeastern states faced challenges in data collection due to difficult terrain and limited field coverage.
- Recommendations:
- The report recommends that the 2025 estimation be treated as a new baseline for all future monitoring exercises.
- It calls for enhanced connectivity between fragmented elephant habitats through corridor restoration.
- It suggests improving coordination among states that share elephant ranges to ensure migratory safety.
- The use of genetic monitoring should be made a standard component of wildlife population surveys.
- Greater community participation and conflict mitigation programs are required to reduce human–elephant clashes.
- The report emphasizes that conservation success depends on scientific management, law enforcement, and cooperative governance across all elephant landscapes in India.
