Status Survey of the Asian Elephant (<I>Elephas maximus</I>) across Different Administrative Ranges of Kalakkad and Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Southern India

Abstract

This paper documents the status of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), its distribution, movement, migratory routes, and other elephant and habitat management related information across the administrative ranges of Kalakkad and Mundunthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) in Southern India. The knowledge of range wise elephant status and habitat usage was important as some of the ranges have very crucial elephant habitats, and some ranges report humanelephant conflict. The survey was based on the insights of past elephant sightings and habitat usage pattern and through ground survey of a number of routes (trails) across the ranges. All the 7 ranges of the reserve report elephants and the number of their sightings is more in Kodayar and Mundanthurai. Free movement of elephants across ranges could be noticed and for Kadayam the movement of elephants is not direct but through neighbouring Kerala State due to the steep nature of the terrain.