A herd of elephants
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The latest synchronised elephant population estimation exercise has revealed Tamil Nadu is home to 3,170 wild elephants, an increase of 107 individuals from the 2024 count of 3,063.
The estimate was derived through a three-day synchronised survey conducted in May 2025 across all five elephant reserves in Tamil Nadu, covering 8,989.63 sq.km. of effective elephant habitats.
The estimation exercise was carried out across 26 forest divisions. According to the State Forest Department, the overall elephant density was 0.35 elephants per sq.km. as per the direct Block Count method, and 0.37 elephants per sq.km. using the Line Transect Dung Count method.
Methodology
The Block Count method, a direct observation approach, involves dividing elephant habitats into small sampling blocks (each about 5 sq.km.) and deploying forest teams to record all elephant sightings within these blocks over a fixed period. This helps determine population size and age–sex composition based on actual sightings.
The Line Transect Dung Count method, on the other hand, is an indirect technique used to estimate elephant density in areas where direct sightings are difficult. Survey teams walk along fixed transect lines, counting dung piles and measuring their distance from the line. Using specialised software, dung density is converted into elephant density by factoring in dung decay and defecation rates.
Highest sightings
A total of 681 blocks were sampled across the State. The survey involved over 2,000 forest personnel, including guards, watchers, and anti-poaching watchers. The highest number of elephants were sighted in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, where 162 elephants were counted in 24 blocks spanning 241 sq.km., accounting for nearly 50% of the division’s elephant habitat.
Other divisions with significant sightings included Gudalur (102 elephants), Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (94 elephants), Anamalai Tiger Reserve–Pollachi Division (107 elephants), Erode (74 elephants), and Coimbatore (72 elephants).
The Nilgiri Elephant Reserve, part of the larger Nilgiri Eastern Ghats landscape, recorded the highest elephant population and density, with an estimated 2,419 elephants (0.53 elephants per sq km) under the block count method, and 3,163 elephants (0.70 per sq km) under the dung count method.
Together, the Nilgiri and Coimbatore reserves support nearly 70–80% of Tamil Nadu’s wild elephants, forming part of a contiguous population shared with neighbouring Karnataka and Kerala.
Other aspects assessed
In addition to population estimation, the survey assessed demographic patterns through waterhole counts, which revealed that adults constituted 44% of the total population, followed by sub-adults (31%), juveniles (11%), and calves (14%). The sex ratio was recorded at 1:1.77 (male to female), while the adult female-to-calf ratio was 1:0.50. Average herd sizes ranged between three and sixteen elephants.
Forest officials said the findings indicate a stable and healthy elephant population structure, consistent with earlier surveys conducted in 2002, 2010, 2017, 2023, and 2024.
However, the report highlighted the need for refining future estimates by incorporating division-specific dung decay rates, as the use of a single decay value across the State could lead to minor discrepancies between direct and indirect count methods. The report also noted that conducting the survey in late April, ahead of the early monsoon onset in the Western Ghats, could produce better results than holding it at the end of May.
Published – October 07, 2025 05:34 pm IST
