DNA Profiling Of Elephants As Part Census Begins In Jharkhand

Category : National Published on: May 18 2023

Share on facebook

DNA profiling of elephants as part of a census has begun in Jharkhand’s Palamau Tiger Reserve.
The census is being done under the guidance of a five-member team of the Wildlife Institute of India.
In Jharkhand, the elephant census will also be conducted in Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, around 10 km from Jamshedpur.
The DNA profiling was started in August 2022 for Gaj Soochna Mobile Application for forest officials.
The DNA profiling acts as the ‘Adhaar card of captive elephants’
According to the last headcounts in 2017, there were 555 elephants in Jharkhand. The elephant census takes place every five years.
India has the largest and the most stable population of Asian elephants, where more than 60% of wild Asian elephants are in India.
Nilgiri landscape has the largest single population of the endangered Asian elephant anywhere in the world.
As per Elephant Census (2017), Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054).