GUWAHATI: Aaranyak, one of India’s leading research-oriented biodiversity conservation organisations, has been conducting an Elephant Occupancy Survey in Meghalaya that is expected to provide effective ways to mitigate human-elephant conflict and boost conservation.
The organisation involved in dedicated efforts for mitigating the burgeoning human-elephant conflict in the northeast has completed the first phase of the survey in West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills, North Garo Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, Eastern West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts of Meghalaya.
The survey is being conducted in collaboration with the Forests and Environment Department, Meghalaya, with support from the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States.
“Meghalaya has one of the highest densities of elephants in the country. The latest elephant census in Meghalaya was carried out from 26-03-2017 to 29-03-2017 using the dung decay count method. As per the census, there are 1754 elephants in Meghalaya,” according to the official website of the Forests and Environment Department, Meghalaya.
“In the current survey, elephant distribution in the state is being analysed. Genetic analysis of dung samples will be conducted at the Wildlife Genetics Laboratory at Aaranyak, whose team will also estimate elephants in Balpakram National Park in Meghalaya using various scientific methods,” said Aaranyak’s senior researcher, Abhijit Boruah.
“In following up on the survey, Aaranyak will utilise various methods to mitigate human-elephant conflict in the state,” Baruah, who is leading the survey team, added.
Using occupancy models, conservation interventions can be guided according to where a species occurs and why, as well as the status of rare and threatened wildlife.
Little quantitative research has been done previously on elephants and their habitats in this region of highly fragmented elephant distribution.
Through occupancy surveys, major interventions can be guided regarding habitat linked to human-elephant conflict.