Asian elephant

• Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), studied associations of male Asian elephants by collecting and analysing data on behaviour of identified nonmusth wild Asian elephants of Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks.

Key points:

• As human-elephant conflicts increase with time and expanding human range, understanding social behaviour becomes crucial to the conservation and management of the highly social and endangered Asian elephant.
• Adult male Asian elephants are less social than females.
• The team observed male elephants and identified them using features of their ears, tails, and tusks and recorded whether males associated with each other in the presence or absence of females.

Asian Elephant:

• Also known as the Asiatic Elephant
• They are found in India and Southeast Asia. It is the largest land mammal in Asia,
• listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List
• Included in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• The wild population has declined by at least 50% since the 1930s

three subspecies of the Asian Elephant.

1. Sri Lankan Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus)
2. Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus)
3. Sumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus)

Nagarhole National Park:

• It is also known as ‘Rajiv Gandhi National Park.
• It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955.
• It was upgraded into a national park in 1988.
• It was declared as the 37th Tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1999.
• The Park lies in the Western Ghats and is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• The Nagarahole River flows through the park, which joins the Kabini River which also is a boundary between Nagarahole and Bandipur Ntional Park.

• Flora: The vegetation consists mainly of moist deciduous forests with predominating trees of teak and rosewood.
• Fauna: Asian elephants, chital (spotted deer), Indian mouse deer, gaur, stripe-necked and ruddy mongooses, grey langur, bonnet macaque, Asian wild dog, leopard, tiger, sloth bear among others.

Bandipur National Park:

• It was established in 1974 as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, is a national park located in karnataka.
• It is located at the tri-junction area of the States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• In 1985, by including adjacent areas, it was enlarged and named as Bandipur National Park.

• As a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, it is the largest habitat of wild elephants in South Asia.
• The park is situated between Kabini riverin the north and the Moyar river in the south. The Nugu river runs through the park.
• Flora: Mixture of dry deciduous forests, moist deciduous forests and shrublands. The wide range of habitats help support a diverse range of organisms.
• Fauna: Gaur, sambhar, chital, mouse deer, four-horned antelope, wild dogs, wild boar, jackal, sloth bear, panther, malabar squirrel, porcupines, jungle fowl.