The Indian elephant is a keystone herbivore that plays a significant role in maintaining the biodiversity of Asian ecosystems. Its feeding and migratory patterns help shape the forest environment, influencing vegetation growth and seed dispersal across its vast range. Monitoring the population numbers of this animal is a conservation priority, providing necessary data to understand the species’ current health and the effectiveness of protection strategies.
Defining the Species and Geographical Range
The Indian elephant, scientifically classified as Elephas maximus indicus, represents one of the three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). This subspecies is primarily found on the Asian mainland, distinguishing it from the Sri Lankan and Sumatran subspecies which inhabit islands. The geographical distribution of the Indian elephant extends across 13 countries, though its largest population resides within India.
Beyond India, smaller, isolated populations are found in neighboring countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. These populations inhabit a variety of environments, from grasslands and dry-thorn forests to moist deciduous and evergreen forests. This wide-ranging habitat preference highlights the need for transboundary cooperation, as herd movements often cross international borders.
Current Population Estimates and Census Challenges
The most recent official population estimation for the wild Indian elephant in India, conducted in 2017, placed the number at approximately 29,964 individuals. This figure represented nearly three-quarters of the entire wild Asian elephant population globally at that time. Accurately counting animals that inhabit dense forests and migrate long distances is inherently complex, meaning these figures are acknowledged as estimates.
Traditional methods for estimating elephant populations have relied on a combination of techniques, each with limitations. These methods include the direct “block count,” where observers count elephants sighted in defined sample areas, and the “waterhole count,” involving observers counting animals visiting designated water sources over a fixed period. A common indirect method is the “dung count,” where the population is estimated based on the density of dung piles, the rate at which dung decays, and the average elephant defecation rate.
A subsequent, more scientifically advanced estimation was released in a recent report spanning 2021–2025, based on a DNA mark-recapture technique using elephant dung samples. This advanced methodology identifies individual elephants through unique genetic markers and estimated the population to be 22,446. Researchers cautioned that this figure is not directly comparable to previous counts due to the significant methodological change, but it provides a new, more rigorous baseline for future monitoring.
Primary Threats to Survival
The primary factor driving the decline and fragmentation of the Indian elephant population is the widespread loss and modification of its natural habitat. Rapid human population growth and resulting development projects have led to the conversion of forests into agricultural lands and human settlements. Linear infrastructure projects, such as new roads, railway lines, and mining operations, cut through forest patches.
This fragmentation isolates elephant herds into smaller, non-interconnected populations, which restricts their movement along ancient migratory paths known as corridors. When these traditional routes are blocked, elephants are forced into closer proximity with human settlements, intensifying Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). This conflict frequently results in retaliatory killings by farmers protecting their crops and property, as well as casualties for both humans and elephants.
Beyond habitat-related issues, elephants also face threats from poaching and accidental deaths. Although Asian elephants are less targeted for ivory than their African counterparts, the poaching of tusked males still occurs, creating an unnatural gender imbalance in some populations. Accidental fatalities are also common, with elephants dying each year due to electrocution from illegal fencing or collisions with trains while crossing railway lines.
Conservation Efforts and Future Outlook
In response to the pressures facing the species, the Government of India launched Project Elephant in 1992 to protect elephants, their habitats, and migratory corridors. This initiative provides technical and financial assistance to states with wild elephant populations, aiming to ensure the long-term survival of viable elephant groups. The project also focuses on addressing the increasing challenge of Human-Elephant Conflict through various mitigation strategies.
The Indian elephant is afforded the highest level of legal protection within India, being listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Globally, the species is recognized as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, underscoring its precarious conservation status. The future of the Indian elephant relies heavily on maintaining and restoring connectivity between fragmented forest patches.
The increasing use of advanced monitoring techniques, such as the new DNA-based census, provides a more accurate foundation for conservation planning. Continuing to secure elephant corridors and integrating local communities into protection efforts are necessary steps. These actions will help ensure that human development and the survival of this iconic species can coexist across the Indian subcontinent.