Elephants of Jharkhand - Increasing Conflicts with Man

Abstract

The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) is distributed in India in five separate population zones. As per the habitat and stressful condition of the animal, three categories of elephant population have been identified in India. The elephant population in Jharkhand has got disoriented. In Ranchi and nearby regions this population is causing extensive damage. The problems threatening the elephants are loss and fragmentation of habitat, habitat degradation, crop depredation and other man-elephant conflicts. The problem of disoriented small herds of elephants has been recognized and analysed. Probably these disoriented herds are of no consequence to the viability of the species. As an alternative they may be captured and shifted to their original home in Saranda. If they try to come back, they may be captured, trained and put to alternative uses. Project Elephant has to prioritise this issue of problematic populations of elephants which seems quite essential for the success of the Project.