The extensive data collection for this report was carried out across 2022 and 2023. Officials noted that the new methodology provides a more robust baseline compared to the previous 2017 report, which had estimated the national population at 29,964.

Despite the positive census figures, conservationists caution that the rising elephant numbers underscore the escalating human-wildlife conflict in the Himalayan foothills.

Department sources indicate that since the formation of Uttarakhand, conservation efforts have been significant. However, the toll on elephant lives remains alarming.

Between 2001 and October of this year, 538 elephant deaths were reported in the state. A major concern is the number of unnatural fatalities: 167 elephants died due to external factors, including 52 electrocutions, 32 collisions with trains, 71 road accidents, and nine due to poaching.

The data reveals that 102 elephants succumbed to infighting, while 277 died of natural causes. The human cost of this coexistence is equally stark. Over the past 15 years, 148 human lives have been lost due to elephant attacks across the state.

“While the elephant population is growing—a testament to successful habitat management—the parallel rise in conflict deaths, both human and elephant, presents a critical conservation challenge,” stated a senior Forest Department official on condition of anonymity. “For every 538 elephants lost, 148 people have died. We must urgently address mitigation strategies.”

The report was formally released by key dignitaries, including SP Yadav, Director General of the International Big Cat Alliance, and Ramesh Pandey, Additional Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.