Over 1,800 Wild Elephants Lost Lives In Tamil Nadu In 15 Years, Census Reveals
The data revealed that 1,613 wild elephants died due to natural causes and 191 died due to unnatural causes.
Published : January 2, 2026 at 9:29 AM IST
Coimbatore: A total of 1,804 wild elephants have died across Tamil Nadu in the last 15 years, according to the data of the elephant census conducted in 2025.
The data revealed that 1,613 wild elephants died due to natural causes and 191 died due to unnatural causes. Of those elephants that died due to natural causes, 43 died due to old age, 86 due to slipping and falling, 107 in fights between elephants, 26 due to starvation, 32 due to attacks by predatory animals, and 27 due to drowning. 152 elephants died due to other natural causes.
Furthermore, the cause of death could not be determined for 180 elephants as their carcasses were not in a suitable condition for post-mortem examination. Similarly, 84 elephants have died due to electrocution, 14 due to poaching, 2 due to poisoning, 13 due to gunshot wounds, 8 in train accidents, 4 in road accidents, and 9 due to other unnatural causes.
"Wild elephants are mostly dead due to illness and old age. Deaths due to unnatural causes are minimal. If an elephant dies, a post-mortem examination is conducted by forest veterinarians to determine the cause. If wild elephants die due to unnatural causes, we register cases against the responsible individuals and take action. Due to continuous action and awareness campaigns, elephant poaching has also been significantly reduced," said a forest official.
The forest official further said that various measures are being taken to prevent wild elephants from entering villages. Forest personnel continuously monitor and drive away wild elephants that enter the villages. Specifically, regular inspections are conducted in areas bordering the forest regarding country-made explosives and electric fences. Awareness is being created among the villagers about the importance of elephants,” the official added.
“Compensation is also being provided to those affected by the damage caused by wild elephants. Thanks to the control centre implemented with the help of AI technology in Madukkarai of Coimbatore district, elephant deaths due to train accidents have been completely prevented in the last two years," the forest department official added.
The data also showed an increase in the number of elephants in the past few years. As per the census, there are 3,170 wild elephants across Tamil Nadu. Of that, 1,777 elephants are in the Western Ghats and 1,345 in the Eastern Ghats.
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