The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) announced the completion of DNA profiling of 270 elephants during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of 'Project Elephant.'?
The project aimed at ensuring better protection of elephants in India.
The Project is the DNA profiling initiative for captive elephants launched in August 2022, as a part of the Gaj Soochna Mobile Application for forest officials. This initiative aims to obtain a specific DNA pattern or profile from a sample of bodily tissue that will serve as an 'Adhaar card of captive elephants.'?
While captive elephants were previously chipped electronically, this method was not entirely successful. With DNA profiling, forest officers can identify and track each elephant, including its transfers, which are common in captive elephants.?
The mobile app will enable officers to record and access detailed information about each elephant, helping to improve elephant care and welfare. Project Elephant differs from Project Tiger, as it focuses on the welfare and health of captive elephants.
Project Elephant was launched in 1992 as a Centrally-Sponsored Scheme with the primary objective of protecting elephants, improving their habitat and corridors, reducing Human-elephant conflict, and ensuring their welfare.?
The project has notified 33 elephant reserves, spanning 80,777 sq km, and provides financial and technical support to wildlife management efforts by states for their free-ranging populations of wild Asian Elephants.?
The project aims to ensure the long-term survival of the populations of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting the elephants, their habitats, and migration corridors.?
Other objectives of Project Elephant include supporting research on the ecology and management of elephants, creating awareness of conservation among local people, and providing improved veterinary care for captive elephants.
India has the largest and most stable population of Asian elephants globally, with over 60% of wild Asian elephants residing in India. However, a regular census of captive elephants is not conducted, although India houses 20% of the global captive Asian elephant population.
The Nilgiri landscape has the largest single population of endangered Asian elephants worldwide.?
The 2017 elephant census recorded a population of 29,964 elephants in India, indicating the country's strong commitment to wildlife conservation.?
Karnataka has the highest number of elephants as per the Elephant Census 2017, with 6,049 elephants, followed by Assam with 5,719 elephants and Kerala with 3,054 elephants.
Several efforts are being made towards elephant conservation, including cleaning areas from invasive species such as lantana and eupatorium, which prevent the growth of grass that elephants feed on.?
The Gaj Yatra campaign is a nationwide awareness initiative that highlights the importance of securing elephant corridors.?
Launched in 2003, the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) program, an international collaboration, tracks information related to illegal elephant killings across Asia and Africa to monitor the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Mahouts and their families are also crucial in ensuring the well-being of elephants.?
Recently, the Supreme Court upheld the Madras High Court's 2011 order on the Nilgiris elephant corridor, which permits the free passage of elephants and requires the closure of resorts in the area.