Importance of accurate population estimates for conserving endangered animals

Source: The post importance of accurate population estimates for conserving endangered animals has been created, based on the article “Express View on shelving an elephant census: Elephant in the room” published in “Indian Express” on 4th October is 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3- Conservation

Context: The article discusses the importance of accurate population estimates for conserving endangered animals, especially elephants in India. It highlights the challenges in surveying wildlife, recent changes in census methods, habitat loss, and the government’s neglect of important findings regarding elephant conservation.

For detailed information on Conservation Efforts in India read this article here

Why is population estimation important for wildlife conservation?

1. Informs conservation strategies: Reliable population estimates are essential for designing effective conservation strategies for endangered animals like tigers and elephants.
2. Challenges in counting wildlife: Large mammals, such as elephants, are difficult to survey due to camouflage and constant movement. Enumeration methods must be refined, as seen with India’s tiger crisis in 2005, which led to improvements in counting methods.
3. Habitat loss and human conflict: Habitat fragmentation forces elephants into human-dominated areas, increasing conflicts. Accurate population estimates can help guide solutions to these conflicts and support eco-sensitive development.

What led to changes in tiger and elephant counting methods?

1. The 2005 tiger crisis in India led to discussions on improving tiger counting methods. Earlier methods provided inaccurate results, prompting the need for more refined techniques.
2. The Tiger Census today offers a more accurate picture of tiger numbers than in the early 2000s.
3. In 2017, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) shifted from direct headcounts or dung counts to statistical modeling for elephant counting. This new method was similar to the tiger monitoring approach and aimed to provide more reliable population estimates.

What are the government’s actions?

1. The government changed its method for counting elephants in 2017, adopting a statistical modeling approach used for tigers.
2. Despite a decline in elephant populations, the government shelved the latest survey report.
3. The NDA government claims the elephant population has stabilized, but delayed releasing census findings.
4. The UPA government did not act on the 2010 Elephant Task Force’s recommendations for “science-based assessment.”

Question for practice:

Discuss the importance of accurate population estimates in wildlife conservation, particularly for elephants and tigers in India.