How many elephant reserves are in India?

As of 2024, India has 33 elephant reserves. These reserves are established to conserve the habitat and corridors essential for the survival of the Indian elephant population, which is a keystone species in the ecosystem. The latest addition is the Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) at Dudhwa-Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, which spans an area of 3,049 square kilometers.

How many elephant reserves in India in 2024?

As of 2024, there are 33 elephant reserves in India: The most recent addition to the list is the Terai Elephant Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, which was notified in 2022. The first elephant reserve in India was the Singhbhum Elephant Reserve in Jharkhand, which was notified in 2001.

Which is India’s 33rd elephant reserve?

Terai elephant reserve The 33rd and latest elephant reserve is setting up Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) at Dudhwa-Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh The new Reserve, spread over a 3,049 sq km area, will be India's 33rd Elephant Reserve - a management entity that includes protected areas, forest areas and corridors for conservation of wild elephants.

Which is India’s 32nd elephant reserve?

Elephant Reserve in Agasthyamalai On the occasion of World Elephant Day 2022, the State Government of Tamil Nadu designated Agasthyamalai Elephant Reserve as its fifth elephant reserve. The reserve has a total area of 1,19,748.26 hectares and is located in Agasthyamalai in Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari district (12 August). This is the 32nd elephant reserve in India.

Which state has the largest reserve of elephants?

The two states with the most elephant reserves are Tamil Nadu and Assam, each with five, followed by Kerala with four, Odisha with three, West Bengal with two, Uttar Pradesh with two, Arunachal Pradesh with two, Chhattisgarh with two, Nagaland with two, and Jharkhand with one, and Uttarakhand with one.

List of Elephant Reserves in India, Map, Complete Updated List 2024

Table of Contents

India, home to more than 60% of the world’s Asian elephant population, has been at the forefront of elephant conservation. To protect this majestic species, the government established dedicated elephant reserves across the country under the “Project Elephant” initiative launched in 1992. These reserves ensure the protection of elephants and their habitats while mitigating human-elephant conflicts that have escalated due to habitat loss and fragmentation.

In this article, we provide a complete updated list of Elephant Reserves in India, discuss the latest developments, and include a map highlighting key reserves.

What are Elephant Reserves?

Elephant Reserves in India are protected areas designated to conserve elephant populations and their natural habitats. These reserves often overlap with other protected zones, such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and tiger reserves. However, they specifically cater to the migratory routes, food sources, and breeding areas essential for elephant survival.

Elephant Reserves in India

In 1992, the Government of India established Project Elephant as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with the goals of safeguarding elephants, their habitat, and migration routes, resolving issues related to man-animal conflict, and ensuring the well-being of elephants held in captivity.

Read about: Wildlife Sanctuaries of India

Elephant Reserves in India Map

In 1992, the Indian government started Project Elephant with the goal of preserving elephants and their natural habitat. In India, there are 33 elephant reserves. Every year on August 12th, World Elephant Day is observed to raise awareness about the need to protect and conserve the largest land animal. In order to raise awareness of the critical predicament of Asian and African elephants, the day was established in 2012. As “Keystone Species,” they are important to the ecosystem of the forest.

Asian elephants: The Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan subspecies are the three types of Asian elephants. The Indian subspecies have the largest range and make up the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent. Global Population: Estimated 20,000–40,000. There are over 28,000 elephants in India, with about 25% of them living in Karnataka.

List of Elephant Reserves in India

S. No.	Elephant Reserve	State
1	Singhbhum Elephant Reserve	Jharkhand
2	Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve	Odisha
3	Wayanad Elephant Reserve	Kerala
4	Nilgiri Elephant Reserve	Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala
5	Dandeli Elephant Reserve	Karnataka
6	Periyar Elephant Reserve	Kerala
7	Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve	Assam
8	Dibang Elephant Reserve	Arunachal Pradesh
9	Garo Hills Elephant Reserve	Meghalaya
10	Kameng Elephant Reserve	Arunachal Pradesh
11	Shivalik Elephant Reserve	Uttarakhand
12	Mysore Elephant Reserve	Karnataka
13	Manas Elephant Reserve	Assam
14	Eastern Dooars Elephant Reserve	West Bengal
15	Singhori Elephant Reserve	Madhya Pradesh
16	Chhattisgarh Elephant Reserve	Chhattisgarh
17	Mahanadi Elephant Reserve	Odisha
18	Kosi Tappu Elephant Reserve	Bihar
19	Lanka Elephant Reserve	Tamil Nadu
20	Baitarani Elephant Reserve	Odisha
21	Badalkhol-Tamorpingla Elephant Reserve	Chhattisgarh
22	Sonitpur Elephant Reserve	Assam
23	Lemru Elephant Reserve	Chhattisgarh
24	Jharkhand Elephant Reserve	Jharkhand
25	Sambalpur Elephant Reserve	Odisha
26	Palamau Elephant Reserve	Jharkhand
27	Rayala Elephant Reserve	Andhra Pradesh
28	Bhadra Elephant Reserve	Karnataka
29	Coimbatore Elephant Reserve	Tamil Nadu
30	Buxa Elephant Reserve	West Bengal
31	Gomot Elephant Reserve	Tripura
32	North Bengal Elephant Reserve	West Bengal

Elephants

Elephants are keystone species, meaning they play a critical role in maintaining the structure of ecosystems. However, due to illegal poaching driven by high demand for ivory, tusks, and other body parts, both Asian and African elephants are on the verge of extinction. India is home to approximately 28,000 elephants, with Karnataka hosting about 25% of the total population.

Species of Elephants

Globally, there are three species of elephants:

Asian Elephant
African Forest Elephant
African Bush Elephant

The Asian elephant consists of three subspecies: Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan elephants. Among these, the Indian elephant has the largest range and makes up the majority of Asia’s elephant population. India alone harbors nearly 55% of the global population of Asian elephants. According to the 2017 census, there are approximately 27,312 wild elephants in India, spread across 32 designated elephant reserves, covering around 65,270 square kilometers of forest.

Read about: Tiger Reserves in India

Elephant Conservation Status in India

Category	Details
Population	– Estimated 28,000 elephants in India as of 2024. – Karnataka holds 25% of India’s elephant population. – India holds 55% of the global Asian elephant population.
Legal Protection	– Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. – Listed under Appendix I of CITES, prohibiting trade of elephants and ivory.
Elephant Reserves	– 32 Elephant Reserves spread across 10 landscapes covering 65,270 sq. km. – Not legally protected unless overlapping with Protected Areas or Reserve Forests.
Threats	– Habitat loss due to urbanization, deforestation, and development projects. – Human-Elephant conflict due to crop raiding and habitat encroachment. – Poaching for ivory, especially in northeastern regions. – Linear infrastructure like roads, railways, and power lines disrupting habitats.
Conservation Efforts	– Project Elephant (1992) focuses on habitat protection, conflict resolution, and anti-poaching measures. – Elephant Corridors: Over 100 identified to facilitate elephant movement between fragmented habitats. – Community-based approaches, compensation schemes for crop damage, and deterrents like bee fences.
Population Status by Region	– Northeast: ~10,000 elephants, facing poaching and habitat fragmentation. – Southern India: Large populations in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu; threatened by habitat loss. – Eastern and Central India: Decline due to mining and deforestation. – Western Ghats: Decline by ~18% due to habitat degradation. – Shivalik Hills and Terai: Stable population, but at risk from infrastructure development.
Challenges	– Unregulated developmental projects like mining and highways. – Lack of legal protection for non-protected elephant reserves. – Insufficient funding and resources for effective conservation efforts.
Future Outlook	– Conservation hinges on scientific monitoring, habitat connectivity, and conflict resolution. – Cooperation between government, conservationists, and local communities is crucial for long-term success.

Project Elephant

Launched in February 1992, Project Elephant is a major initiative supported by the Central Government of India. It aims to conserve and manage the wild elephant population and their habitats across several states. India is home to the largest population of Asian elephants, making this project essential for their survival.

The project provides technical and financial assistance to the states with wild elephant populations, helping them implement effective conservation and management strategies. Over time, Project Elephant has played a pivotal role in addressing challenges like habitat fragmentation, poaching, and human-elephant conflicts.

Key Objectives of Project Elephant

Protection of Elephants and Their Habitats:
- Safeguarding elephant habitats and corridors to ensure their free movement and survival.
- Conserving natural habitats to promote the well-being of elephants in the wild.
Reducing Human-Elephant Conflict:
- Implementing measures to prevent and mitigate human-elephant conflict that often arises due to crop damage and habitat encroachment.
- Providing compensation and support to affected communities.
Welfare of Domesticated Elephants:
- Ensuring the protection and welfare of captive/domesticated elephants, often used in religious and cultural events.

Coverage and Implementation

Project Elephant is implemented in 16 Indian states, including:

Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Andhra Pradesh
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand
Kerala
Karnataka
Meghalaya
Maharashtra
Nagaland
Odisha
Tamil Nadu
Uttarakhand
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal

The government provides technical support and financial aid to these states to ensure the smooth implementation of the project, including conducting elephant censuses and training field personnel to minimize conflicts.

First and Latest Elephant Reserve

Singhbhum Elephant Reserve in Jharkhand was the first Elephant Reserve established under Project Elephant.
The latest reserve is the Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) at Dudhwa-Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, established in 2022. Spread across 3,049 sq km, this is India’s 33rd Elephant Reserve.

Legal Protection and Conservation Status

Elephants in India are protected under:

Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides the highest level of legal protection.
In 2010, the Indian government declared elephants as the National Heritage Animal to ensure better protection and conservation.

MIKE Program (Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants)

The MIKE Program was launched in 2003 as part of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It aims to monitor the illegal killing of elephants and track poaching patterns.

Goals of the MIKE Program:

Monitor and analyze trends in the illegal killing of elephants.
Help elephant range countries like India manage their populations and reduce poaching.
Use the data collected to assess the impact of CITES decisions and improve elephant conservation policies.

Elephant National Heritage Animal

According to the standing committee of the National Board for wildlife’s recommendations, the Indian government designated the elephant as the nation’s national heritage animal in 2010. This was done to ensure that elephants received adequate protection before their numbers fell to alarming proportions, similar to what happened to tigers. It has been proposed to amend the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 to create a National Elephant Conservation Authority (NECA) along the lines of the NTCA.

Elephant Task Force

In response to rising human-elephant conflict and the killing of elephants, the Elephant Task Force was formed to provide recommendations for long-term elephant conservation.

Key Issues Addressed by the Elephant Task Force:

Human-elephant conflict: Proposing solutions to minimize conflicts in affected areas.
Habitat destruction: Addressing the issue of habitat fragmentation and urbanization.
Ivory poaching: Tackling the illegal trade of ivory, which endangers tusker elephants.

Importance of Elephant Corridors

Elephant corridors are narrow strips of land that connect larger habitats, enabling elephants to move freely and safely. Project Elephant places significant emphasis on identifying and protecting these corridors to prevent habitat fragmentation. Over 100 elephant corridors have been identified under the project, ensuring the safe movement of elephants between habitats.

Challenges in Elephant Conservation

Poaching and Ivory Trade: Poaching remains a significant threat, particularly in northeastern India.
Habitat Loss: Urbanization, agriculture, and infrastructure projects have reduced elephant habitats.
Human-Elephant Conflict: As humans encroach on elephant habitats, conflicts over resources escalate, leading to casualties on both sides.
Linear Infrastructure Development: Roads, railways, and power lines intersect elephant habitats, causing accidents and disrupting movement.

Achievements of Project Elephant

Despite the challenges, Project Elephant is seen as a success due to its ability to maintain a sustainable elephant population in India. The project has led to the protection of critical habitats and the implementation of innovative solutions to mitigate human-elephant conflicts.

National Elephant Conservation Authority (NECA)

There has been a proposal to amend the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to create a National Elephant Conservation Authority (NECA), similar to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). This would enhance the legal framework for elephant conservation and provide additional support for Project Elephant.

Conclusion

Project Elephant plays a crucial role in protecting and conserving India’s elephant population, which accounts for nearly 55% of the global population of Asian elephants. As India faces growing challenges related to habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, and poaching, the success of Project Elephant will depend on continued government support, community involvement, and strong conservation strategies.