Elephant Reserves
(Photo: Sudip Banerjee, Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand)
Elephant Reserves
The Indian elephant Elephas maximus occurs in the central and southern Western Ghats, North-east India, eastern India and northern India and in some parts of southern peninsular India. It is included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES). It occurs in 16 of the 28 states in the country. Project Elephant was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:
1. To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors
2. To address issues of man-animal conflict
3. Welfare of captive elephants
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides the financial and technical support to major elephant range states in the country through Project Elephant.
(Download pdf)Securing the Future for Elephants in India, The Report of the Elephant Task Force, Ministry of Environment and Forests, August 31, 2010
List of Notified Elephant Reserves in India (As on December, 2023)
S. No.
|
Elephant Reserve
|
State
|
Date of Notification
|
Total Area
(Sq. Km)
|
1
|
Rayala ER
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
09.12.2003
|
766
|
2
|
Kameng ER
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
19.06.2002
|
1892
|
3
|
South Arunachal ER
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
29.02.2008
|
1957.50
|
4
|
Sonitpur ER
|
Assam
|
06.03.2003
|
1420
|
5
|
Dihing-Patkai ER
|
Assam
|
17.04.2003
|
937
|
6
|
Kaziranga – Karbi Anglong ER
|
Assam
|
17.04.2003
|
3270
|
7
|
Dhansiri-Lungding ER
|
Assam
|
19.04.2003
|
2740
|
8
|
Chirang-Ripu ER
|
Assam
|
07.03.2003
|
2600
|
9
|
Badalkhol-Tamorpingla
|
Chhattisgarh
|
15.09.2011
|
1048.30
|
10
|
Lemru ER
|
Chhattisgarh
|
2022
|
450
|
11
|
Singhbhum ER
|
Jharkhand
|
26.09.2001
|
4530
|
12
|
Mysore ER
|
Karnataka
|
25.11.2002
|
6724
|
13
|
Dandeli ER
|
Karnataka
|
26.03.2015
|
2,321
|
14
|
Wayanad ER
|
Kerala
|
02.04.2002
|
1200
|
15
|
Nilambur ER
|
Kerala
|
02.04.2002
|
1419
|
16
|
Anamudi ER
|
Kerala
|
02.04.2002
|
3728
|
17
|
Periyar
|
Kerala
|
02.04.2002
|
3742
|
18
|
Garo Hills ER
|
Meghalaya
|
31.10.2001
|
3,500
|
19
|
Intanki ER
|
Nagaland
|
28.02.2005
|
202
|
20
|
Singphan ER
|
Nagaland
|
16.08.2018
|
23.57
|
21
|
Mayurbhanj ER
|
Odisha
|
29.09.2001
|
3214
|
22
|
Mahanadi ER
|
Odisha
|
20.07.2002
|
1038
|
23
|
Sambalpur ER
|
Odisha
|
27.03.2002
|
427
|
24
|
Nilgiri ER
|
Tamil Nadu
|
19.09.2003
|
4663
|
25
|
Coimbatore ER
|
Tamil Nadu
|
19.09.2003
|
566
|
26
|
Anamalai ER
|
Tamil Nadu
|
19.09.2003
|
1457
|
27
|
Srivilliputtur ER
|
Tamil Nadu
|
19.09.2003
|
1249
|
28
|
Agsthyamalai ER
|
Tamil Nadu
|
12.08.2022
|
1,197.48
|
29
|
Uttar Pradesh ER
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
09.09.2009
|
744
|
30
|
Terai ER
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
2022
|
3049
|
31
|
Shivalik ER
|
Uttarakhand
|
28.10.2002
|
5405
|
32
|
Mayurjharna ER
|
West Bengal
|
24.10.2002
|
414
|
33
|
Eastern Dooars ER
|
West Bengal
|
28.8.2002
|
978
|
Source: MoEFCC & State Forest Departments