Project Elephant:
• 21st Steering Committee meeting held in Dehradun, chaired by Environment Minister.
• Reviewed progress on elephant conservation, conflict mitigation, and population estimation.
Elephant Population Estimation
• Phase-I of synchronized estimation completed in Northeastern states.
• 16,500 dung samples collected.
• The last official count (2017) was 29,964 elephants; a 2022–23 interim report indicated a 20% decline, but it was not released.
Train Collision Mitigation
• 3,452.4 km of railway stretches surveyed. • 77 high-risk areas identified.
• 73 elephant deaths due to train accidents reported between 2019–2024.
• Call for better coordination with Railways, NHAI, Power Ministry, and mines.
DNA Profiling of Captive Elephants
• 1,911 captive elephants genetically profiled across 22 states.
• Aims to improve individual monitoring and welfare.
Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC)
• Regional action plans discussed for Southern and Northeastern India.
• Emphasis on real-time mitigation, data collection, and interstate cooperation
Conservation Status of Elephants: IUCN Red List:
• Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus): Endangered
• African Elephant (Loxodonta africana): Endangered
• Savanna Elephant: Endangered
• Forest Elephant: Critically Endangered Status in India
• Schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – highest protection.
• Listed in Appendix I of CITES – prohibits international trade.
• Estimated population: ~29,964 (as per 2017 census)
• India hosts over 60% of the global Asian elephant population.