Overview

• The SAIEE 2021–25 report estimates India’s wild elephants at an average of 22,446 within a range of 18,255 to 26,645.
• Using genetic mark–recapture, scientists analyzed 21,056 dung samples and identified 4,065 unique elephants through a three-phase survey that combined ground work and satellite assessment.
• Elephants are concentrated in the Western Ghats with 11,934 and in the North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra floodplains with 6,559.
• Karnataka hosts the largest state population at 6,013, followed by Assam with 4,159 and Tamil Nadu with 3,136, with smaller totals across several central and eastern states.
• The report flags habitat loss, fragmentation from transport and power lines, plantations and mining, and calls for restoring corridors and stronger law enforcement; officials said complex genetic analysis prolonged the release.