Synchronous All India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021–25:
After over a year’s delay, the Synchronous All India Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2021–25 results were released in Dehradun by the Union Environment Ministry and Wildlife Institute of India (WII), reporting 22,446 elephants across India.
- SAIEE is India’s nationwide synchronized census of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) conducted every five years to estimate their population, distribution, and habitat health.
- Jointly released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
- Aim is to create a harmonized, data-driven baseline for elephant population monitoring by synchronizing it with the tiger estimation framework to ensure scientific accuracy and comparability.
- Key Results:
- Total Elephant Population: 22,446 individuals across India.
- Western Ghats: 11,934 elephants – largest cluster in the country.
- Northeastern Hills & Brahmaputra Plains: 6,559 elephants.
- Shivalik Hills & Gangetic Plains: 2,062 elephants.
- Central India & Eastern Ghats: 1,891 elephants.
- Top States by Population: Karnataka (6,013), Assam (4,159), Tamil Nadu (3,136), Kerala (2,785), Uttarakhand (1,792).
- Decline in Jharkhand (-68%) and Odisha (-54%) due to mining and habitat degradation.
- Rise in Chhattisgarh (+82.6%) and Madhya Pradesh, attributed to migration from disturbed eastern regions.
