Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 19: South India has emerged as the stronghold of the Asian elephant, with Karnataka topping the list of Indian states hosting the largest wild elephant population, according to a new nationwide survey.

The recently released report, titled ‘All-India Elephant Population Estimate Based on DNA’, confirms that Karnataka leads the country with 6,013 elephants, followed by Tamil Nadu with 3,136 and Kerala with 2,785. Together, these three southern states account for 53.16% of India's total elephant population.

The report, jointly conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Project Elephant, and the Wildlife Institute of India, reveals that India is home to 22,446 wild elephants as of 2025 — a decrease from 27,312 elephants recorded in 2017.

The study marks the first time DNA-based fingerprinting techniques have been used to estimate elephant populations in the country. Scientists collected 21,056 dung samples across 3.1 lakh dung plots spanning over 6.7 lakh sq km of forest terrain. The genetic analysis helped identify individual elephants, similar to how human ancestry is traced through DNA.

According to officials, the use of DNA fingerprinting and satellite-based mapping offers a new scientific foundation for future monitoring and conservation strategies. “This is the first time elephant dung samples were used for DNA analysis. The findings will serve as a benchmark for future population assessments. Wildlife wardens from across the country were consulted in this multi-phase process,” an official said.

The Western Ghats region alone hosts 11,934 elephants, underscoring its critical importance as an elephant habitat.

Among other states, Assam ranks second nationally (and first in northern India) with 4,159 elephants, surpassing both Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Other regions recorded the following numbers:

• Central India and Eastern Ghats: 1,891 elephants

• Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains: 2,062 elephants

• Northeastern Hills and Brahmaputra Floodplains: 6,559 elephants

The survey began in 2021 and was released this week after four years of fieldwork and analysis. The report also highlights the historic relationship between elephants and humans, dating back to the Harappan civilisation, where elephants played a vital role in both the economy and military.

As the country with the largest Asian elephant population, India holds a crucial role in the species’ global conservation. With Karnataka at the forefront, this survey reaffirms the southern states as the core custodians of India’s wild elephants, offering a data-driven roadmap for better protection and habitat management in the years to come.