• Assam:
    • Population Increase: Assam’s elephant population has grown from 5,719 in 2017 to 5,828 in 2024, reflecting successful conservation efforts.
    • Protected Areas: Approximately 82% of Assam’s elephants reside within designated Elephant Reserves, highlighting their importance in conservation.

Conservation Efforts

  • Project Elephant:
    • Initiation: Launched by the Government of India in 1992 to protect elephants and their habitats.
    • Elephant Reserves: As of 2023, 33 Elephant Reserves have been established across 14 states, covering approximately 80,778 km².

Challenges

  • Habitat Loss: Rapid urbanization and deforestation have led to significant habitat fragmentation, increasing human-elephant conflicts.
  • Poaching: Despite protective measures, poaching for ivory and other body parts remains a threat.

Recent Developments

  • Assam’s “Haati App”: To mitigate human-elephant conflicts, Assam has introduced the “Haati App,” an early warning system designed to alert villagers about nearby elephant movements, aiming to reduce fatalities and property damage.