Karnataka records highest wild elephant population with 6,013
southern states home to over 53% of total
Bengaluru: Karnataka has emerged as the state with the highest wild elephant population in India, recording 6,013 elephants, according to the country’s first-ever DNA-based population estimation.
The survey, titled “Status of Elephants in India: DNA-based Synchronous All-India Population Estimation of Elephants”, revealed that southern states account for 53.16% of the country’s total elephant population, with Karnataka leading the list, followed by Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
According to the study, cited by Deccan Herald on Wednesday, Tamil Nadu reported 3,136 and Kerala 2,785, bringing the total for the Western Ghats landscape to 11,934 elephants.
The Environment Ministry, Project Elephant, and the Wildlife Institute of India released the long-awaited report nearly four years after the survey began in 2021. The delay was due to the complex genetic analysis and data validation involved in the exercise.
Officials clarified that the new figures are not directly comparable with the 2017 census, which estimated 27,312 elephants across India, as the methodology has changed significantly. This is the first time DNA analysis of dung samples has been used to estimate elephant numbers.
The new count used a three-phase process combining ground surveys, satellite-based mapping and genetic analysis.
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Elderly Dalit woman cremated on road after family denied access to village cremation ground in Bihar
Vaishali: An elderly Dalit woman was cremated on a public road in Bihar’s Vaishali district after her family was allegedly prevented from using the village cremation ground, triggering outrage and tension in the area, The Observer Post reported.
The incident occurred on Thursday at Sontho Andhari village under the Goraul police station limits. The deceased, identified as Jhapki Devi (95), belonged to a Mahadalit family. According to locals and police, when her family tried to take her body to the cremation ground, some people blocked the route, leaving the family with no option but to perform the last rites on the road.
Family members and residents said the obstruction has been a long-standing issue. “Every time we take a body for cremation, the way is blocked. This has happened earlier too, but no permanent solution was given,” said a local resident from Manjhi Tola, expressing anger over repeated denial of access.
As tensions rose, the funeral procession stopped at Andhari Gachi Chowk, where the body was placed on a pyre in front of a Shiva temple and cremated on the road. Villagers alleged that the pathway connecting the main road to the cremation ground had been encroached upon by local landowners.
Police and administrative officials later reached the spot. A fire brigade vehicle was deployed to extinguish the pyre, and the road was cleaned after the cremation. Public representatives who arrived at the scene were reportedly chased away by protesting villagers, who accused the administration of ignoring their complaints for years.
Vaishali Superintendent of Police Vikram Sihag said the issue arose due to the absence of a clear path. “Earlier, there was a route to the cremation ground, but some people built a temple on that path. Due to the lack of access, the family carried out the cremation on the road,” he said. He added that discussions were held with local officials and that arrangements would be made to restore access to the cremation ground. “The situation is currently under control,” the SP said.
Block Development Officer Pankaj Kumar Nigam and Circle Officer Divya Chanchal said the area had been cleared and an inquiry was under way. “All aspects will be examined, and steps will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen again,” they said.
