List of Elephant Reserves in India State-wise
Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) is the largest living land animal in Asia. The Asian Elephant is found throughout the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, i.e., The Asian Elephant is found from India in the west, Nepal in the north, Sumatra in the south and Borneo in the east. The Indian Elephant is one of three extant recognized subspecies of the Asian Elephant. These three subspecies of the Asian Elephant are recognized as the Sri Lankan elephant, the Indian elephant and the Sumatran elephant. Average elephant life expectancy is 60 years in the wild and 80 in captivity.
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Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as ‘Endangered’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as the population has declined by at least 50 percent over the last three elephant generations. While the African elephant is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List in 2021.
About 60% of the Asian elephant population is in India. In India, central and southern Western Ghats, North-east India, Eastern India and Northern India and in some parts of the Southern peninsular, the Indian elephant is found.
Nearly forty-four percent of the Indian elephants are found in the south Indian states like Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The elephant census is conducted once in 5 years under the Project elephant. The latest census of elephants was conducted in 2017, and Karnataka has found the highest number of elephants.
The government of India has notified a total of 32 Elephant Reserves in the country spread over 15 states. The total elephant population in India is 27,312 in the latest elephant census of 2017.
To know about the list of Elephant Reserves in India state-wise, refer to the table below.
| Elephant Range | Elephant Reserve | State |
|
Kameng-Sonitpur Landscape (Arunachal – Assam) |
Kameng Elephant Reserve | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Sonitpur Elephant Reserve | Assam | |
|
Eastern-South Bank Landscape (Assam – Arunachal) |
Dihing-Patkai Elephant Reserve | Assam |
| South Arunachal Elephant Reserve | Arunachal Pradesh | |
|
Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong-Intanki Landscape (Assam – Nagaland) |
Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve | Assam |
| Dhansiri-Lungding Elephant Reserve | Assam | |
| Intanki Elephant Reserve | Nagaland | |
| Singphan ElephantReserve | Nagaland | |
|
North Bengal- Greater Manas Landscape (Assam – West Bengal) |
Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve | Assam |
| Eastern Dooars Elephant Reserve | West Bengal | |
|
Meghalaya Landscape (Meghalaya) |
Garo Hills Elephant Reserve | Meghalaya |
| Khasi-hills Elephant Reserve | Meghalaya | |
|
East-Central Landscape (South-West Bengal- Jharkhand – Orissa) |
Mayurjharna Elephant Reserve | West Bengal |
| Singhbhum Elephant Reserve | Jharkhand | |
| Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve | Orissa | |
| Mahanadi Elephant Reserve | Orissa | |
| Sambalpur Elephant Reserve | Orissa | |
| Baitami Elephant Reserve | Orissa | |
| South Orissa Elephant Reserve | Orissa | |
| Lemru Elephant Reserve | Chhattisgarh | |
| Badalkhol – Tamor Pingla Elephant Reserve | Chhattisgarh | |
|
North-Western Landscape (Uttarakhand – Uttar Pradesh) |
Shivalik Elephant Reserve | Uttarakhand |
| Uttar Pradesh Elephant Reserve | Uttar Pradesh | |
|
Brahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern GhatLandscape (Karnataka – Kerala- Tamil nadu- Andhra Pradesh) |
Mysore Elephant Reserve | Karnataka |
| Wayanad Elephant Reserve | Kerala | |
| Nilambur Elephant Reserve | Kerala | |
| Coimbatore Elephant Reserve | Tamil Nadu | |
| Nilgiri Elephant Reserve | Tamil Nadu | |
| Rayala Elephant Reserve | Andhra Pradesh | |
|
Anamalai-Nelliampathy-High Range Landscape (Tamil nadu – Kerala) |
Annamalai Elephant Reserve | Tamil Nadu |
| Anamudi Elephant Reserve | Kerala | |
|
Periyar-AgasthyamalaiLandscape (Kerala – Tamilnadu) |
Periyar Elephant Reserve | Kerala |
| Srivilliputhur Elephant Reserve | Tamil Nadu |
These 32 Elephant Reserves spread over 10 elephant landscapes, covering about 69,583 square km. of forests in the northeast, central, northwest and south India. But these reserves areas are not exclusive to Elephants because Elephant Reserves include areas of human use and habitation. Unless the Elephant Reserve lies inside an already protected Reserve Forests or the Protected Area network, Elephant Reserves are not legally exclusively protected habitats of elephants.
List of Top Five States with Population of Elephant
To know about the list of top five elephant population states in India, refer to the table below.
| State | Population of Tigers(Census of 2017) |
| Karnataka | 6049 |
| Assam | 5719 |
| Kerala | 3054 |
| Tamil Nadu | 2761 |
| Odisha | 1976 |
Elephant Corridor
As the land of the forest is shrinking day by day, the ‘elephant corridors’ become very important. Elephant Corridors are a narrow and short stretch of the forest through which the Elephants can move freely without human disturbances from one habitat source to another. These elephant’s corridors provide the passage route for elephants to move between their secure habitats freely, without being disturbed by humans. Elephant corridors are also critical for other wildlife species including India’s endangered National Animal, the Royal Bengal tiger.
In India, 88 elephant corridors are situated, out of which 20 are in South India, 12 in North Western India, 20 in Central India, 14 in North West Bengal, and 22 in North Eastern India. About 77.3% of these corridors are regularly used by the elephant. One-third of these corridors are of high ecological priority and the other two-third are of medium priority.
Project Elephant
In the year 1992, for the protection of the Indian elephants, their habitat and corridors, Project Elephant was launched by the Government of India Ministry of Environment and Forests to provide financial and technical support to wildlife management efforts by states for their free-ranging populations. There are many objectives of the Project Elephant. These are given below.
- The Project Elephant aims to ensure the long-term survival of the population of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting them, their habitats and migration corridors.
- The research of the ecology and management of elephants, creating awareness of conservation among local people.
- It’s also aim is to provide improved veterinary care for captive elephants.
- It’s also aim to promote not to harm elephants for their teeth.
National Heritage Animal
In the year 2010, the government of India declared the elephant as the national heritage animal of the country on the recommendations of the standing committee of the national board for wildlife. This was done to make sure that sufficient protection to elephants is provided before their numbers fall to panic levels like tiger numbers.
World Elephant Day
The World Elephant Day is an international annual celebrated each year on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world’s elephants.
However, the total elephant population in India is 27,312 in the latest elephant census of 2017. About 60% of the Asian elephant population is in India.
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