GPS Tracking of Elephants in Assam: Habitat Use and Conservation Insights

#GS-3 #Environment #Biodiversity #Wildlife #Rapid Fire CA #Quick Facts For Prelims #Human-Wildlife Conflict #Assam

Key takeaways

India hosts over 60% of the global wild Asian elephant population, with Karnataka leading the state-wise population followed by Assam and Tamil Nadu.
The Assam Forest Department and WWF-India published a GPS-collaring study titled Tracking the Giants during the 72nd Wildlife Week to address habitat fragmentation.
Asian elephants are protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and listed in Appendix I of the CMS following the COP13 summit in Gandhinagar.
India manages 33 notified Elephant Reserves across 14 states under Project Elephant launched in 1992, while utilizing AI technology like Gajraj to prevent train accidents.

During the 72nd Wildlife Week, the Assam Forest Department and WWF-India jointly released a new study titled Tracking the Giants: Movement and Habitat-Use Patterns of GPS-Collared Elephants in Assam.
The report emphasizes that conservation efforts for Asian elephants must be strengthened urgently because habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflicts are rising rapidly.

India hosts more than 60% of the entire world's wild Asian elephant population.
More than half of the elephant population in India lives across the Western Ghats region.
Among all Indian states, Karnataka has the highest number of elephants, while Assam ranks second and Tamil Nadu ranks third.
India recently introduced its scientific baseline census called the Status of Asian Elephants in India (SAIEE), which uses DNA-based techniques instead of traditional visual counting methods.
Asian elephants enjoy the highest legal protection under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
During the CMS COP13 summit held in Gandhinagar, India successfully added the mainland Asian elephant to Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

The Central Government started Project Elephant in 1992 to protect elephant habitats, secure corridors, and reduce human-elephant conflict.
India currently has 33 notified Elephant Reserves spread across 14 states, with Singhbhum Elephant Reserve being the first, alongside others like Terai and Agasthyamalai.
The MIKE Programme operates as a global monitoring system linked with CITES to track illegal elephant killings and analyze population trends.
Indian Railways uses Gajraj, an artificial intelligence-based safety system designed to detect elephants near tracks and prevent train collisions.

Asian elephants serve as a keystone species and ecosystem engineers because their daily activities shape the natural environment.
They spread seeds, dig up water sources during dry seasons, and clear dense forest vegetation, which supports the survival of many other wild species.