Elephant population not declining : Govt

The number of elephants in the country is "not" on the decline and the government is making efforts to increase the tusker population, Lok Sabha was informed today.
"No Sir. The number of elephants is not declining in the country over the years," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said while replying to a question.
He said that as per the 2012 data, the estimated elephant population in the country is between 29,391 to 30,711 as compared to between 27,669 - 27,719 in 2007.
"Efforts are being made to conserve and increase elephant population in the country," the Minister said.
He said that the central government is providing technical and financial assistance to elephant range states for conservation and welfare of elephants under the centrally sponsored scheme "project elephant".

He said that the major components of the scheme was to mitigate human-elephant conflict, improvement of elephant habitats, restoration of elephant corridors, protection of elephants, welfare of captive elephants and to organise awareness programmes.

He said that the elephant range states notify the elephant habitats as "elephant reserves" for better management of wild elephants.
"So far, 29 elephant reserves have been established in 14 states," Javadekar said.
He added that elephant is included under the schedule-1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 for providing it highest degree of legal protection.
As per the 2012 data, there were 9239 elephants in North East region, 2865 in Eastern region, and between 15,650 to 16,970 elephants in South region.