Conservqtion of the Asiqn elephont in North-West Indiq A.J.T. Johnsingh, Qamar Qureshi, Dhananjai Mohan and Christy A. \flilliams Introduction TR, is the highest point. The total elephant habitat available is around 10,000km2. The Outer Himalaya and The north-western elephant population in India once the Shivaliks are the mountain and hill ranges that run had a continuous range in Uttar Pradesh (JP), from through this tract. Katerniaghat 'Wildlife Sanctuary ${.LS) in Bahraich Forest Division (FD) in the east, to the Yamuna River Vest of Sharda River, the fertile water- rich terai tract has in the west (Singh 1978). Over time, this continuity has been lost to cultivation and monoculture plantations, been broken, and now the total population of about and the elephant habitat is largely confined rc the bbabar 1,000 elephants occurs in six isolated sub-populations. tract, which is full of boulders and has a low water table. From east to west, these populations are in Katerniaghat Terai habhat is still available east of the Sharda River, Vildlife Division (tUfLD), 10-20 animals migrating to and in Pilibhit and Nonh Kheri FD. Dudhwa TR and from Nepal's Bardia National Park (NP), in and around Katerniaghat \fLD. Major rivers in this range are the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (TR, 880km2, c. 40 elephants) Yamuna, Ganga, Ramganga, Sharda, Suheli and Geruwa. fiaved 1996), between Sharda River and Haldwani Besides these, there are numerous streams and ephemeral town, Haldwani and Khoh River, Khoh River and v/ater courses known as rAt'rs, which in the bbabar tr^cr Ganga River, and between Ganga River and Yamuna remain dry during most parts of the year. See Johnsingh River. Bulls, however, still cross Khoh and Ganga et al. Qoo+) for more details of this area. Rivers. The major breaks in this elephant range are along the Ganga River, along the Gola River that runs Vegetation types to the west of Kathgodam-Haldwani-Lalkuan Highway, across Khatima Range of Terai East FD and between The vegetation in this tract is dominated by moist and dry Dudhwa NP and Katerniaghat \fLD. Although isolated, sal (Shorea robusta) forests, interspersed with nonhern Katerniaghat VLD is identified as an area to be managed tropical dry deciduous forests, Northern tropical moist along with Dudhwa TR. The Khatima Range has become deciduous forests, and bamboo (Dendrocakmus strictus) unsuitable for elephants and other large mammals as clumps. Himalaya sub-tropical forests dominated by a result of the construction of Sharda Main Canal, chir pine (Pinus roxburghil ocatr on the peaks of Tanakpur-Khatima Highway and enormous increasing the Shivaliks. Cane (Calamus tenuis) brakes, seasonal biotic disturbances, from the human se$lements in and swamp forests dominated by Syzygium, riparian fringing around. Steep terrain and biotic disturbances deter the forests dominated by Treutia nudiflora, Ficus biEida and movements of elephant groups across Gwalgod sor in the Putranjiva roxburgbii also occur at mesic sites. The terai hilly terrain of Rajaji-Corbett corridor (Sunderral et al. grasslands east of the Sharda River are dominated by 1995). Nevertheless, elephants use the stretch of forests Pbragmites karka, Saccbaraln spontaneum, S. bmgalensis, south of Rajaji-Corbett corridor (parts of Haridwar S. munja, Narenga porPbrocoma, Sclerosaclrya fusca, and Bijnor Plantation Division, c. 300km2) as a corridor Themeda arundinaceae and Vetioeria zizanoides. Several between Rajaji NP and Corbett TR. But this forest belt is parts of this range, particularly the remaining terai belt, also under enormous biotic pressures. Sand and boulder are planted with exotics like teak (Tectona grandis), gom mining started in the riverbeds of this area, in the recent (Eucalyptus), poplar (Populus dehoides), Haplophragma years, have added to the pressures. heteroplrylla and Ailanthus excelsa. The area is classified into six broad natural vegetation classes, Moist Sal Forest, From east to west, the Protected Areas (PAs) and Dry Sal Mixed Forest, Mixed Forest, Acacia-Dalbergia forest divisions in this elephant range are: Katerniaghat Forest, Open Woodland/Plantation and Open scrub and '!flLS, \fLD, Dudhwa NP, Kishanpur North Kheri Grassland (Figure10. 1). FD, Pilibhit FD, Haldwani FD, Champawat FD (South Pithoragargh), East Terai FD, Central Terai FD, Legal and management status lil7est Terai FD, Ramnagar FD, Corbett TR (including Sonanadhi \fLS), Bijnor FD, Lansdowne FD, Bijnor At present, there are six PAs in this range: Corbett Plantation Dlivision, Haridwar FD, Rajaji NP, Dehra NP (core of Corbett TR), Rajaji NP (still proposed), Dun FD, Narendra Nagar FD (pan), Shivalik FD and Sona Nadi Iil7LS (part of Corbett TR), Dudhwa NP, Kdsi FD. The elephant range here is about 50Okm long Kishanpur \flLS, and Katerniaghat 'WLD (the last three and narrow in most places. from the Dudhwa TR). Altitude varies between 200 and 1,000m a.s.l., and Kanda, (") Corbett NP (c. 52lkm), which forms the core area which is situated on the nonhern boundary of Corbett of the 1,288km2 Corbett TR, has had a chequered Gqah2s: Q006) 62 history. In t936, it became India's first National population estimation is as follows: 150 to 200 elephants Park under the United Provinces National Parks west of River Ganga (c. 1500km), 650 to 200 between Act. Originally called Hailey NP, it became the Ganga and Gola River (Haldwani) (c. 4,000km2), 50 Ramganga NP after independence. Finally, it was between Gola and Sharda (c. 1,800km2) which still a few named Corbett NP in honour of late Jim Corbett, years ago was reported to range into Nepal, may be into legendary hunter and author, and later a consultant Sukhlaphanta Reserve, and 50 between Khatima Range to demarcate the limits of the proposed national and Katerniaghat (c. 2,500km2) which moves between park. On 1 April 1.973, India's laudable conservation India and Nepal (Figure 10.2). lJntil recently, the programme, Project Tiger, was inaugurated at the population between Yamuna River and Haldwani had park headquarters in Dhikala. the best reponed sex ratio in the entire Asian elephant range. St.rdies conducted by the Vildlife Institute of ft) Rajaji NP, which encompasses three former wildlife India in Rajaji NP and Corbett TR, have shown that sanctuaries - Rajaji, Chilla and Motichur - as well the existing adult male:female sex ratio was t:2-2.5, as parts of the Shivalik and Dehra Dun FDs, also due largely to the absence of poaching for ivory. As a has a history . In t966,90km2 of the Dehra Dun FD result, the effective population size of elephants in the was upgraded as Motichur VLS. An area of.247km2 forest patch between Yamuna River and Haldwani was of the Shivalik FD and an area of. 249km2 of the higher than that of the southern Indian populations, Lansdowne FD were upgraded as Rajaji and Chilla despite their having a much larger number of individuals \7LSs in 1967 and t974, respectively. In 1.984, these (\filliams 2002). Recent poaching incidents (10 tuskers three sanctuaries, and parts of the above mentioned were poached in the Corbett-Rajaji area from December FDs, were intentionally notified as Ra.iaji NP. 2000 to December 2001) and the death of males (of the 11 elephants that died in December 200L and January- G) Sonanadi \7LS is contiguous to the Corbett NP, February 2002 io the Rajaji area, including two bulls and along with it and some adjoining reserved that were poached, eight were males) indicate that this forests (RFs), forms the Corbett TR. The Sanctuary healthy sex ratio can be drastically altered within a few vras established in 1987 over an area of. 301.76km2. years, if habitat degradation, deaths due to elecrrocurion, Lying between the Corbett NP and Rajaji NP, the poisoning and poaching are not brought under control. Sanctuary is a pan of the link between the two. Conservation problems (d) In the terai region of Lakhimpur Kheri in IJP, Dudhwa \?LS, spread over an area of 212km2, was Since the steep Himalaya and Shivaliks bound this created in the year 1.958, to protect a population of elephant range on the nonh, and the f.erile terai on the swamp deer (Ceruus duoauceli duoaucel). This was south, fragmentation as a result of human habitations and upgraded to National Park in 1977, and enlarged to associated developments, is the most serious problem. al area of 490 km2, along with a buffer of. 124km2. Equally serious is the problem of habitat disturbance and degradation due to overgrazing by domestic O South of Dudhwa, on the southern bank of Sharda livestock, lopping of trees to feed the Gujjar buffaloes, River, another PA, Kishanpur'S7LS, was established and collection of bhabar grass (Eulaliopsb binata) for in 1972, over an area of 204km2. In 1987 , these two rope making. Overgrazing leads to proliferation of PAs of the UP terai were brought under the umbrella weeds and lack of regeneration of palatable planr species of Project Tiger. The Dudhwa TR so formed was (Dabadghao and Shankarnarayan 1973; Johnsingh et al. further enlarged in t994, by adding some buffer areas 1990). Since October 2002,Urtaranchal Government has to the south, and extending the area of the reserve to permitted large-scale sand and boulder mining in the river 884km2. beds within the RFs. This mining brings in nearly 25,000 poor labourers from Eastern lJttar Pradesh and Bihar (0 Katerniaghat \{rLS was created in the forests of who camp on the riverbed for nine months (October to Bahraich FD in the year 1976. This Sanctuary June) and their firewood needs combined with that of had an area of. 400km2 on the eastern bank of the local people, cause enormous loss and disturbance to the Ghaghra River. In 1997, d,ong with 150km':of elephant habitat.