India's First DNA-Based Elephant Census Reveals 18% Population Decline: A Conservation Wake-Up Call

Oct 14, 2025 09:21 pm CST

India's pioneering DNA-based elephant census reveals a concerning 18% population decline, with numbers dropping from 27,312 to approximately 22,446. This comprehensive scientific survey, employing innovative genetic fingerprinting of over 21,000 dung samples, establishes a new baseline for conservation efforts across the country's diverse elephant landscapes, highlighting urgent challenges facing Asian elephant preservation despite India hosting 60% of the world's remaining population.