Elephant reserves in India

Distribution of Elephants
Elephant reserves in India

Elephant ( Elephas maximus) is the largest terrestrial mammal of India . Elephant being wide ranging animal requires large areas. The requirement of food and water for elephants are very high and therefore their population can be supported only by forests that are under optimal conditions. The status of elephant can be the best indicator of the status of the forests.

Distribution of Elephants

Asian elephants were believed to be widely distributed - from Tigris - Euphrates in West Asia eastward through Persia into the Indian sub-continent, South and Southeast Asia including Sri Lanka, Java, Sumatra, Borneo and up to North China. However currently they are confined to Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia and some Asian Islands - Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia. About 60% of the Asian elephant population is in India.

Old literatures indicate that even during the Moghul period, elephants were found all over India including many part of Central India like Marwar, Chanderi, Satwas, Bijagarh and Panna. However current distribution of wild elephant in India is confined to South India; North East including North West Bengal; Central Indian states of Odisha, South WB and Jharkhand; and North West India in Uttarakahnd and UP.

Elephant reserves in India

There are 33 notified Elephant Reserves (ERs) in the country spread over 14 states.

Sl. No	Elephant Range	Elephant Reserve with date of notification	State	Total Area (Sq. Km)
I	Eastern India (South West Bengal- Jharkhand-Odisha)	1. Mayurjharna ER (24.10.02)	W. Bengal	414
		2. Singhbhum ER (26.9.01)	Jharkhand	4530
		3. Mayurbhanj ER (29.9.01)	Odisha	3214
		4. Mahanadi ER (20.7.02)	Odisha	1038
		5. Sambalpur ER (27.3.02)	Odisha	427
		6. Badalkhol-Tamorpingla (15.9.2011)	Chhattisgarh	1048.30
		7. Lemru ER (2022)	Chhattisgarh	450
II	North Brahamputra (Arunachal – Assam)	8. Kameng ER (19.6.02)	Arunachal	1892
II	North Brahamputra (Arunachal – Assam)	9. Sonitpur ER (6.3.03)	Assam	1420
III	South Brahamputra (Assam- Arunachal)	10. Dihing-Patkai ER (17.4.03)	Assam	937
III	South Brahamputra (Assam- Arunachal)	11. South Arunachal ER (29.2.08)	Arunachal	1957.50
IV	Kaziranga (Assam- Nagaland)	12. Kaziranga – Karbi Anglong ER (17.4.03)	Assam	3270
		13. Dhansiri-Lungding ER (19.4.03)	Assam	2740
		14. Intanki ER (28.2.05)	Nagaland	202
		15. Singphan ER (16.8.18)	Nagaland	23.57
V	Eastern Dooars (Assam- W. Bengal)	16. Chirang-Ripu ER (7.3.03)	Assam	2600
V	Eastern Dooars (Assam- W. Bengal)	17. Eastern Dooars ER (28.8.02)	W. Bengal	978
VI	E. Himalayas (Meghalaya)	18. Garo Hills ER (31.10.01)	Meghalaya	3,500
VII	Nilgiri –Eastern Ghat (Karnataka- Kerala- Tamilnadu-Andhra)	19. Mysore ER (25.11.02)	Karnataka	6724
		20. Dandeli ER (26.3.15	Karnataka
		21. Wayanad ER (2.4.02)	Kerala	1200
		22. Nilgiri ER (19.9.03)	Tamil Nadu	4663
		23. Agsthyamalai ER (12.08.2022)	Tamil Nadu	1,197.48
		24. Rayala ER (9.12.03)	Andhra	766
VIII	South Nilgiri (Kerala- Tamilnadu)	25. Nilambur ER (2.4.02)	Kerala	1419
VIII	South Nilgiri (Kerala- Tamilnadu)	26. Coimbatore ER (19.9.03)	Tamilnadu	566
IX	Western Ghat (Tamilnadu- Kerala)	27. Anamalai ER (19.9.03)	Tamilnadu	1457
IX	Western Ghat (Tamilnadu- Kerala)	28. Anamudi ER (2.4.02)	Kerala	3728
X	Periyar (Kerala- Tamilnadu)	29. Periyar (2.4.02)	Kerala	3742
X	Periyar (Kerala- Tamilnadu)	30. Srivilliputtur ER(19.9.03)	Tamilnadu	1249
XI	Northern India (Uttaranchal-U.P.)	31. Shivalik ER (28.10.02)	Uttaranchal	5405
		32. Uttar Pradesh ER (9.9.09)	U.P.	744
		33. Terai ER (2022)	U.P.	3049

Source : Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Last Modified : 8/10/2023

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