India Awaits 2024 Elephant Census Results Amid Northeast Delays

India's latest elephant census results will be delayed until June next year due to challenges faced in northeastern regions. Heavy monsoon rains, floods, and limited capacity of forest staff have hindered data collection. New scientific approaches, including DNA profiling, aim to enhance understanding and combat illegal smuggling.

India will have to wait until June next year to learn the results of the latest elephant census, which has faced delays in some northeastern states.

Wild elephants are primarily found in forested and hilly tracts across India. Data collection and analysis are held up in the northeast due to heavy monsoon rains, floods, and limited capacity of forest staff, sources said. The process involves creating shapefiles, capacity building, and data processing.

The latest elephant population numbers will only be available by June next year, according to sources. An official from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) cited the need to collect satellite data during the first phase of the tiger population estimation, but efforts in the northeast face challenges. The WII plans to train staff in northeast regions in September-October, with Phase 1 data collection scheduled for November-December.