Elephant population in Karnataka rises in post-Veerappan era

Elephant population in Karnataka’s forests is understood to have risen considerably during the last two years.

According to data available from the recently-held elephant census, the population of jumbos in the State had risen from around 4,500 during 2005 to about 6,000 during 2007. With the country’s elephant population estimated to be around 24,000, Karnataka accounts for a quarter of India’s pachyderm population, according to forest officials.

Much of the rise in elephant population in Karnataka has been noticed in Biligiri Rangana Hills, Bandipur National Forests and Kanakapura Wildlife Division, which was once the home of forest bandit Veerappan. “This region now has a dense elephant population numbering around 2,000”, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Raju.

Forest bandits including Veerappan’s gang were indiscriminately poaching elephants for their valuable ivory. “These areas had witnessed many cases of poaching and mysterious elephant deaths during Veerappan’s regime. After his death, we are finding many elephants roaming around the forests freely”, he said.

The notorious forest brigand Veerappan, who was killed in an encounter with the police in October 2004, was accused of not only chopping sandalwood trees, but also killing elephants for their ivory, which fetched a huge price.

It may be mentioned here that the hundreds of forest department officials, wildlife enthusiasts and volunteers scoured the jungles of Karnataka as part of an elaborate elephant census held between May 7 and 9 this year. The elephant census in Karnataka was part of the simultaneous exercise carried out by the forest departments of all the South Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, besides Karnataka.