An Asian elephant stands in a natural setting beside a map location pin icon, highlighting wildlife tracking and conservation efforts in Asia.
Bhopal: Eight years after a breakaway herd of wild Asian elephants from Odisha switched base to the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve in 2018, in what was believed to be natural migration, the Madhya Pradesh forest department has launched a scientific study to map elephant corridors, habitat use and conflict hotspots across the Bandhavgarh-Sanjay landscape, officials said on Friday.The initiative was announced at a one-day inception and planning workshop jointly organised by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, at Tala in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.The study aims to identify elephant movement routes, assess habitat utilisation and pinpoint conflict-prone areas to develop a long-term conservation and management strategy for the species in central India.
Officials said the findings would help improve habitat connectivity, ensure safer elephant movement and reduce incidents of human-elephant conflict.Addressing the workshop, principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden, Samita Rajora, said the Asian elephants settled into the Bandhavgarh landscape in 2018 and have since become permanent residents.She said the state’s priority is to ensure effective elephant conservation while minimising loss of human life, crop damage and other conflicts, adding that community participation, public awareness and coordinated action by all stakeholders would be crucial for successful elephant conservation.
The workshop brought together senior forest officials, wildlife scientists and field managers from Bandhavgarh and Sanjay Tiger Reserves to chalk out a scientific framework for the study.During the event, officials unveiled the project’s official logo and a poster for MP’s proposed gaur (Indian bison) reintroduction programme. A report titled “A Brief Report on Colonization and Spatial Expansion of Elephants in Bandhavgarh”, documenting the arrival and gradual expansion of Asian elephants in the landscape since 2018, was also released.Experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the forest department made technical presentations on elephant ecology, conservation challenges and future management strategies.Scientists discussed methods for identifying elephant corridors, assessing habitat use through field studies and geospatial analysis, and mapping areas prone to human-elephant conflict. Sessions also focused on lessons from elephant management in other parts of India, emerging conservation challenges in the Bandhavgarh-Sanjay landscape and the need for a dedicated long-term action plan for elephant conservation in the state.The participants included senior officials from the state forest department, deputy directors of Bandhavgarh and Sanjay Tiger Reserves, divisional forest officers from Shahdol, Umaria, Katni and Anuppur, veterinary experts, members of the Madhya Pradesh Tiger Strike Force and scientists from WII.Officials said extensive discussions centred on ensuring safe movement of elephants between forests, protecting critical habitats, strengthening corridor connectivity and adopting science-based management practices to mitigate conflict with local communities.
