Tirupati: The three-day synchronised elephant census conducted in the forest areas of Chittoor East and West, Kuppam, Palamaner and other ranges of the Chittoor district has quantified the current number of resident jumbos between 90 and 110. To this is added an equivalent number of migrants.
Amid increasing human-elephant conflicts and elephant movement into human areas, the southern states had established an Interstate Coordination Committee (ICC). In a meeting at the Bandipur National Park on March 10, the ICC signed a charter mandating synchronised elephant population estimates across state borders.
This approach aims to gain insights into population dynamics, potential conflict scenarios and facilitate holistic conflict management, officials said.
The synchronised elephant population estimation exercise was conducted from May 23 to May 25 in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as part of an effort towards designing conflict management strategies. It was led by district forest officer Chaitanya Kumar Reddy.
"The systematic three-day approach covered over 66 forest blocks in the district. We undertook the block-count and transect methods of survey and a special watch at the water bodies and wetland areas in the forest ranges. Factors such as dung, footprints and carcass were analysed to determine elephant presence”, the DFO stated.
Notably, the Wildlife Institute of India's 2023 report – Elephant Corridors of India – had listed 150 elephant corridors, with AP hosting two crucial passages – the Rayala elephant reserve corridor (linking the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary to SV National Park) and the tri-junction corridor in the erstwhile Chittoor district.
Surveys noted a rise in jumbo numbers in this region annually. "Though the Koundinya wildlife sanctuary is located in Chittoor district, it is connected to the forests of Karnataka and TN, where several herds keep crisscrossing the region. The forest officials in the neighbouring states also conducted simultaneous drives for an accurate census.
The findings of these surveys were shared between the states and a detailed report will be ready soon,” the DFO said.
However, the census highlighted significant conservation challenges, particularly concerning human-elephant conflicts. Major threats are electrocution and road accidents, especially in forested villages abutting the Koundinya Sanctuary where sagging power lines and unprotected transformers heightened the risks.
Illegal electric fences by farmers worsen these dangers. Key migration corridors like Rayala and tri-junction corridors face threats from highways.
To address the threats, the forest department proposed constructing 3.5 km long underpasses along the Palamaner-Mogili ghat section of the Tirupati-Bengaluru highway to safeguard wild animals from accidents.
"Proposals for underpasses on the ghat section have been sent to the central highways and forest authorities. The works will start soon. Among these passes, a 1.9 km long underpass, probably the longest in India, is coming up in this ghat section, which might curb accidents and deaths of wild animals in this section," the DFO revealed.
