Tamil Nadu’s wild elephant count rises to 3,170 in 2025: Minister

Chennai, Oct 7 (PTI) Tamil Nadu is now home to an estimated 3,170 wild elephants, an increase of 107 from the previous count of 3,063, said R S Raja Kannapan, State Minister for Forests and Khadi, on Tuesday.

Kannapan was releasing the Third Synchronised Elephant Population Estimation (2025) report as part of the Wildlife Week celebrations at the Secretariat.

"This steady growth in Tamil Nadu’s elephant population reflects the state’s commitment to science-based wildlife management and community-driven conservation," said the minister.

Highlighting the importance of evidence-based and collaborative conservation, Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, said the state is focusing on habitat restoration, removal of invasive species, improvement of fodder and water availability, and use of technology to monitor movements.

"Elephants are an integral part of our forests and our cultural identity. The steady increase in their population is a strong indicator that our policies are working," she added.

According to her, the state has declared the Agasthyamalai Elephant Reserve, notified the Thanthai Periyar and Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuaries, and expanded protection across more than 2.8 lakh hectares of elephant habitat under Tamil Nadu’s Elephant Conservation Schemes.

The synchronised estimation was conducted from May 23 to 25 in coordination with Karnataka to ensure consistent data across shared elephant landscapes, said a press release issued by the Forest Department.

In Tamil Nadu, the survey covered 26 forest divisions, including tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, territorial forest divisions, and a national park, it added.

In the latest survey, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve recorded the highest density at 1.35 per km² (estimated 325 elephants), followed by Gudalur Forest Division and Anamalai Tiger Reserve, according to the press release. PTI JR SSK