Skewed Sex Ratio in Elephant Population - how it may Affect the Demography and Population Growth? a Case Study in Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, Tamil Nadu, Southern India

Abstract

The present study on the demography pattern and the sex ratio of the Elephant population of the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park revealed that there was not much change in the proportion of juvenile, sub-adult and adult over a period of fifteen years. However, the sex ratio of the sub-adult and adult population changed alarmingly due to the poaching of adults as well as sub-adult males. The present sex ratio of adult animals, 1:16 is skewed which had not physically affected the growth of the population and age distribution. Selective killing of tuskers, if not checked, will lead to a highly skewed adult sex ratio in an exponential rate, the impacts of the latter are discussed with reference to the earlier studies.