Protected Areas of Tamil Nadu - Elephant Reserves

Elephant Reserves

Tamil Nadu is a major participant in Project Elephant. It has 5 Elephant Sanctuaries covering 7,940 km2 (3,070 sq mi) with 6776 Elephants enumerated in 2005, 19 Elephant corridors and 4 inter-state corridors linking to Elephant Sanctuaries in Karnataka. There are 14 Forest Dept. Divisions containing Elephants.

1. Nilgiri Elephant Reserve, 4,663 km2 (1,800 sq mi), Protected area 716 km2 (276 sq mi), Elephant population 1938, contiguous with Wayanad Reserve in Kerala, Mysore reserve in Karnataka and Rayala reserve in Andhra Pradesh, established 2003.
2. Coimbatore Elephant Reserve, 566 km2 (219 sq mi), Protected area 482 km2 (186 sq mi), Elephant population 132, contiguous with Nilambur Reserve in Kerala, established 2003.
3. Anamalai Elephant Reserve 1,457 km2 (563 sq mi), Protected area 300 km2 (120 sq mi), Elephant population 680, contiguous with Anamalai Reserve in Kerala, established 2003.
4. Srivilliputtur Elephant Reserve, 1,249 km2 (482 sq mi), Protected area 568 km2 (219 sq mi), Elephant population 223, contiguous with Periyar Reserve in Kerala, established 2002.
5. Rejuvenation Camp for Temple and Private Elephants of Tamil Nadu is 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi) in Mudumalai Sanctuary at Theppakkadu. Mudumalai was chosen as location of the rejuvenation camp because it operates the finest elephant camp in the country with 26 elephants belonging to the Forest Department. 55 elephants participated in the rejuvenation camp in 2003. In addition, an elephant rescue centre in Kandiyur Reserve Forest, Bhavani River bed in Mettupalayam Range of Coimbatore division in an area of 50 acres (200,000 m2) has been proposed.