Mysore: After a gap of five years, the three-day elephant count was completed on Friday. Earlier in 2017, the exercise of counting elephants was done.
Karnataka forest officials have deployed all personnel to carry out the census exercise in the forest. In the last census, the number was just over 6,000 and the state had the highest number of elephants in all of India.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Rajeev Ranjan The elephant census was conducted simultaneously in the southern states of India – Karnataka, told TOI. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The PCCF said the numbers would be tabulated after the survey is over and after a detailed analysis the population of elephants in the state would be revealed.
Census has begun in BRT Tiger Reserve at Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mysore Chamaraja Nagar districts. This is also done in Kaveri and MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuaries. The exercise of counting elephants will be done in three phases: direct sighting method, line transect method and counting near waterholes on the last day of the exercise. Only the officers and employees of the Forest Department are doing this and no outsider is involved in it.
Nagarhole Director Harshkumar Chikkanragund Said it started on May 17 and covered almost 50% of the patrolling area on the first day. Elephants observed indirectly are recorded in the patrol areas on the first day. On the second day, indirect enumeration method was followed on the line transect and finally enumeration would be done on water bodies from morning to evening.
Personnel have been given special training for the census in Nagarhole Tiger Reserve. About 300 personnel have been involved for the census covering 91 patrolling areas in about 500-00 sq km area, the director said, adding that during the last census in the forest around 1,000 elephants were counted. DCF Deep J Contractor of BRT Tiger Reserve said that around 220 personnel including RFO, ACF and DCF are working in teams for the exercise. There are 42 beet areas in the forest. Previously, just over 600 elephants were recorded in the wild.
Karnataka forest officials have deployed all personnel to carry out the census exercise in the forest. In the last census, the number was just over 6,000 and the state had the highest number of elephants in all of India.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Rajeev Ranjan The elephant census was conducted simultaneously in the southern states of India – Karnataka, told TOI. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The PCCF said the numbers would be tabulated after the survey is over and after a detailed analysis the population of elephants in the state would be revealed.
Census has begun in BRT Tiger Reserve at Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mysore Chamaraja Nagar districts. This is also done in Kaveri and MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuaries. The exercise of counting elephants will be done in three phases: direct sighting method, line transect method and counting near waterholes on the last day of the exercise. Only the officers and employees of the Forest Department are doing this and no outsider is involved in it.
Nagarhole Director Harshkumar Chikkanragund Said it started on May 17 and covered almost 50% of the patrolling area on the first day. Elephants observed indirectly are recorded in the patrol areas on the first day. On the second day, indirect enumeration method was followed on the line transect and finally enumeration would be done on water bodies from morning to evening.
Personnel have been given special training for the census in Nagarhole Tiger Reserve. About 300 personnel have been involved for the census covering 91 patrolling areas in about 500-00 sq km area, the director said, adding that during the last census in the forest around 1,000 elephants were counted. DCF Deep J Contractor of BRT Tiger Reserve said that around 220 personnel including RFO, ACF and DCF are working in teams for the exercise. There are 42 beet areas in the forest. Previously, just over 600 elephants were recorded in the wild.