Uttarakhand Sees Rise In Elephant Calves; Adult Population Declines

Dehradun: The maiden DNA-based elephant census in Uttarakhand has thrown up two different pictures for Uttarakhand. While it reflects a decline in the number of adult jumbos, the number of young pachyderms has been on the rise.

Although Uttarakhand has the highest number of elephants in North India, the data indicate a significant decrease in their population compared to previous records. A total of 1,792 elephants have been recorded against 2,026.

Explaining the trend, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Sameer Sinha said the decline cannot be compared to previous censuses. "This is the first DNA-based census. It also needs to be considered how much area was covered, and how successful the counting team was in collecting elephant DNA," he added.

Until now, elephants were counted based on their sightings or markings. This time, enumerators accurately identified each tusker from their dung, making it more scientific and reliable than ever before. The significantly higher number of baby elephants indicates that the natural habitat for elephants remains healthy in Uttarakhand.

The All-India Synchronous Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2025 by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) recorded 22,446 elephants across the country. Of these, Karnataka had the highest number of elephants at 6,013, followed by Assam at 4,159, Tamil Nadu at 3,136, and Kerala at 2,785. The enumerators covered 6.66 lakh kilometres on foot to collect elephant dung samples from 3.19 lakh locations.

The state forest department has been cheered up by the increase in the number of elephant calves, a clear sign that the cycle of life in the forests is still proceeding at a healthy pace.

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