Elephant census operations are currently underway in the border forests of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh to tackle the growing issue of human-elephant conflicts. Led by the Inter-State Coordination Committee (ICC), this initiative spans across 10 forest divisions within the Nilgiri mountain range with the goal of devising effective conflict management strategies.
With a massive team comprising 1,689 personnel including officers and wildlife experts, the three-day census began on Thursday. Utilizing the block sampling or direct count method, the team revisited and updated last year’s data through defined forest beats, while also collecting crucial information about local vegetation, elevation, and rainfall patterns, alongside demographic details of the elephants.
On Friday, efforts shifted to implementing 2-kilometer-long line transects established during the previous day’s session. Researchers meticulously recorded data while traversing these transects, particularly focusing on elephant dung to estimate elephant proximity and activities. This approach aids in approximating elephant habitats and calculating their densities across various forest zones and land uses. Following the survey’s completion, data analysis will be conducted with support from experts at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bangalore, with the aim of deriving insights crucial for formulating strategies to mitigate human-elephant conflicts in these regions.
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