Wildlife Experts Gather for Elephant Population Estimation Training

A two-day training programme was held at Kaziranga National Park for over 70 forest personnel on elephant population estimation. Conducted by the Ministry of Environment, the training included methodology on elephant encounter rates and fecal DNA sampling, aided by MSTrIPES technology for effective data archiving.

Kaziranga National Park recently hosted a two-day training programme for over 70 frontline forest personnel, targeting improved methodologies for the All India Synchronised Elephant Population Estimation. The initiative, backed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, highlights India's commitment to wildlife conservation.

The training, undertaken as part of the Project Elephant's five-year cycle, offered extensive instruction on sampling elephant encounter rates, analyzing group composition, and fecal DNA collection. This year, participants from 28 divisions including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland joined the programme.

A notable addition was the inclusion of the MSTrIPES polygon application, which enhances geo-referenced field observations and reduces sampling errors through efficient data archiving. The training was spearheaded by experts from the Wildlife Institute of India.

(With inputs from agencies.)