Exciting news from Tamil Nadu! The latest synchronized elephant census has revealed a thriving wild elephant population, now standing at 3,170. This marks a positive increase of 107 elephants compared to the 2024 count of 3,063.
This robust estimate comes from a meticulous three-day synchronized survey conducted in May 2025. It spanned all five elephant reserves across Tamil Nadu, covering an impressive 8,989.63 square kilometers of vital elephant habitats.
Forest teams systematically conducted this extensive survey across 26 forest divisions. The State Forest Department reports an overall elephant density of 0.35 elephants per square kilometer using the direct ‘Block Count’ method, and a slightly higher 0.37 elephants per square kilometer via the ‘Line Transect Dung Count’ method.
How the Survey Was Conducted
The ‘Block Count’ method relies on direct observation. It involves segmenting elephant habitats into smaller sampling blocks, typically around 5 square kilometers each. Dedicated forest teams then meticulously record all elephant sightings within these blocks over a set timeframe, allowing for accurate determination of population size and age-sex demographics.
Conversely, the ‘Line Transect Dung Count’ method provides an ingenious indirect approach, particularly useful in dense forest areas where direct sightings are challenging. Survey teams follow predefined transect lines, carefully counting elephant dung piles and noting their distance. Advanced software then processes this data, converting dung density into elephant density by accounting for natural dung decay and defecation rates.
Where the Elephants Roam: Key Findings
Across the state, a remarkable 681 blocks were sampled, with over 2,000 forest personnel, including guards, watchers, and anti-poaching units, contributing to this massive effort. The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve emerged as a hotspot, recording the highest number of direct sightings with 162 elephants across 24 blocks, covering 241 square kilometers—nearly half of the division’s elephant habitat.
Other areas also boasted impressive numbers: Gudalur saw 102 elephants, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve 94, Anamalai Tiger Reserve–Pollachi Division 107, Erode 74, and Coimbatore 72.
Within the broader Nilgiri Eastern Ghats landscape, the Nilgiri Elephant Reserve showed particularly robust numbers. It recorded an estimated 2,419 elephants (0.53 elephants per square kilometer) using the block count method, and a striking 3,163 elephants (0.70 per square kilometer) via the dung count method, indicating a dense and healthy population.
Collectively, the Nilgiri and Coimbatore reserves are sanctuaries for a significant portion—nearly 70-80%—of Tamil Nadu’s wild elephants. This population isn’t isolated but forms part of a larger, interconnected group that extends into neighboring Karnataka and Kerala.
Beyond Numbers: Demographics and Future Improvements
Beyond just counting, the survey also delved into the elephants’ demographic patterns through waterhole observations. The findings showed a healthy population structure: adults made up 44% of the total, followed by sub-adults (31%), juveniles (11%), and a promising 14% calves. The male-to-female sex ratio stood at 1:1.77, and the adult female-to-calf ratio was 1:0.50. Average herd sizes observed during the survey varied between three and sixteen elephants.
Forest officials expressed satisfaction with these results, affirming that the findings point to a stable and healthy elephant population structure, consistent with previous surveys conducted in 2002, 2010, 2017, 2023, and 2024.
However, the report also offered constructive suggestions for refining future estimates. It emphasized the importance of using division-specific dung decay rates, noting that a single statewide value could cause slight inconsistencies between direct and indirect counting methods. Additionally, the report suggested that conducting surveys in late April, before the early monsoon in the Western Ghats, might yield more accurate results compared to surveys held in late May.