List of Elephant Reserves of India
The Government of India had launched the Project Elephant in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with objectives to protect elephants, their habitat & corridors; to address issues of the man-animal conflict; and the welfare of captive elephants.
Key Highlights of Project Elephant
1. The project aims to protect the elephant corridors and elephant habitat for the survival of the elephant population in the wild.
2. This elephant conservation strategy is mainly implemented in 16 of 28 states or union territories namely: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
3. The project has 3 main objectives:
→ To ensure the Welfare of domesticated elephants
→ Protection of elephants, their habitats, and elephant corridors.
→ Mitigation and prevention of human-elephant conflict.
As notified by the Government of India, there are around 32 elephant Reserves in India. The first elephant reserve was the Singhbhum Elephant Reserve of Jharkhand.
List of Elephant Reserves of India
| Elephant Range |
Location |
Elephant Reserve |
| East-Central landscape (South-West Bengal-Jharkhand-Orissa |
West Bengal |
Mayurjharna ER |
| Jharkhand |
Singhbhum ER |
|
|
Orissa |
Mahanadi ER Sambalpur ER Baitami ER South Orissa ER |
|
|
Chhattisgarh |
Lemru ER Badalkhol-Tamorpingla ER |
|
| Kameng-Sonitpur Landscape (Arunachal- Assam) Total |
Arunachal Pradesh |
Kameng ER |
| Assam |
Sonitpur ER |
|
| Eastern-South Bank Landscape (Assam- Arunachal Pradesh) |
Assam |
Dihing-Patkai ER |
| Arunachal Pradesh |
South Arunachal Pradesh ER |
|
| Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong-Intanki Landscape (Assam- Nagaland) |
Assam |
Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong ER Dhansiri-Lungding ER |
| Nagaland |
Intanki ER |
|
| North Bengal-Greater Manas Landscape (Assam-West Bengal) |
Assam |
Chirang-Ripu ER |
| West Bengal |
Eastern Doars ER |
|
| Meghalaya Landscape |
Meghalaya |
Garo Hills ER Khasi Hills ER |
| Brahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghat Landscape (Karnataka- Kerala-Tamilnadu-Andhra) |
Karnataka |
Mysore ER |
| Kerala |
Wayanad ER |
|
| Tamil Nadu |
Nilgiri ER |
|
| Andhra Pradesh |
Rayala ER |
|
| Kerala |
Nilambur ER |
|
| Tamil Nadu |
Coimbatore ER |
|
| Anamalai-Nellianpathy-High Range Landscape (Tamil Nadu-Kerala) |
Tamil Nadu |
Anamalai ER |
| Kerala |
Anamudi ER |
|
| Periyar-Agasthymalai Landscape (Kerala-Tamilnadu) |
Kerala |
Periyar ER |
| Tamil Nadu |
Srivilliputhur ER |
|
| North-Western Landscape (Uttarakhand-Uttar Pradesh) |
Uttarakhand |
Shivalik ER |
| Uttar Pradesh |
Uttar Pradesh ER |
In 2010, on the advice of the Standing Committee of the National Wildlife Board, the Government of India declared Elephant the country's national heritage animal. This was done to ensure that elephants were given adequate protection.