India has 22,446 elephants, as per new census; they need the support of local communities to survive

India’s Elephant Population: 2025 Census Highlights

  1. Total Population:
    • India has 22,446 elephants, as per the latest nationwide census released on October 15, 2025.
  2. New Methodology:
    • This is the first-ever DNA-based mark–recapture estimation in India.
    • Figures are not comparable with previous censuses and serve as a new monitoring baseline.
  3. Regional Distribution:
    • Western Ghats:11,934 elephants
      • Karnataka (6,013), Tamil Nadu (3,136), Kerala (2,785)
      • Threats: Fragmentation due to plantations, human encroachment, and development projects.
    • North Eastern Hills & Brahmaputra Flood Plains:6,559 elephants
      • Assam (4,159) leads, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and northern West Bengal.
      • Threats: Habitat loss, mining, and high human–elephant conflicts.
    • Shivalik Hills & Gangetic Plains:2,062 elephants
      • Uttarakhand (1,792), Uttar Pradesh (257), Bihar (13).
      • Threats: Electrocution, railway collisions, and fragmented corridors.
    • Central India & Eastern Ghats:1,891 elephants
      • Odisha (912), Chhattisgarh (451), Jharkhand (217), Andhra Pradesh (120), others smaller.
      • Threats: Mining, linear infrastructure, invasive plants, and lack of coexistence experience.
  4. Major Findings:
    • Habitat fragmentation and loss of corridors are leading causes of population stress.
    • Electrocution and railway collisions remain major causes of elephant deaths.
    • Mining, roads, and encroachments disrupt movement and heighten conflict.
  5. Conservation Imperatives:
    • Strengthen corridors and habitat connectivity.
    • Prioritise restoration of degraded habitats.
    • Improve law enforcement and anti-poaching measures.
    • Mitigate infrastructure impacts through eco-sensitive planning.
    • Develop uniform compensation policies for affected local communities.
    • Empower local participation in conservation as a cornerstone for long-term coexistence.
  6. Key Message:
    • “Elephants are India’s ecological engineers and cultural icons. Their future depends on restoring connectivity, reducing conflict, and ensuring community partnership.”

      Updated -  15 Oct 2025, 1:39 pm | Down to Earth