Health & Lifestyle
Corbett Reserve Estimates Around 1,200 Elephants in Landscape
The annual elephant census has commenced in the Corbett Tiger Reserve with support from the Wildlife Institute of India, employing a new scientific methodology to estimate elephant populations across Uttarakhand.
The elephant census in Uttarakhand officially began on Monday at the Corbett Tiger Reserve, with authorities using a new scientific methodology to improve the accuracy of population estimates.
According to Corbett Tiger Reserve Director Saket Badola, the reserve landscape was estimated to host around 1,200 elephants during the previous census. This year’s exercise is being conducted in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
The state-wide elephant census is scheduled to take place between May 20 and May 30, while the counting exercise within Corbett began on May 26. Officials said a five-day protocol has been implemented under which field staff across every beat of the reserve will conduct the enumeration until May 30.
Forest personnel involved in the exercise had already undergone training before the start of the census. The collected data will later be submitted to the Wildlife Institute of India for analysis and preparation of the final elephant population estimate for the entire state.
Separate teams have been formed for each range within the reserve, and WII researchers are accompanying field teams to ensure that the census is carried out scientifically and smoothly.
The census is considered an important wildlife management exercise, helping authorities assess elephant populations, migration patterns and habitat conditions for long-term conservation planning in one of India’s most significant wildlife landscapes.
