Synchronized elephant census commences in Southern states

CHENNAI: The synchronized Elephant Population Estimation has commenced in the forest areas of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, on Wednesday. The census will be held for three days till Friday.

In Tamil Nadu, the population estimation of elephants is to be conducted in 465 blocks in 25 forest divisions in Tamil Nadu. Forest personnel such as anti-poaching watchers, forest watchers, forest guards, foresters, rangers and volunteers from NGOs are involved in this survey. A manual has been prepared and sent to all the divisions on the procedures to be followed for the estimation.

On May 17, block count will be undertaken. On May 18, an indirect survey will be conducted in the same blocks by walking along identified transect lines of two kilometers and identifying the elephant dungs on both sides of the line. On May 19, waterhole census will be undertaken to identify the herd composition of the elephants coming to the water bodies in those blocks.

Prior to this estimation, all the field staff and volunteers from NGOs were given formal training by experts and biologists working in the forest department.

Once the estimation is completed, all the filled data sheets will be sent to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve to be compiled.