In news
Uttarakhand government is considering denotifying the Shivalik Elephant Reserve
A brief note on the issue
- The officials said that the matter will be raised before the state Wildlife Advisory Board for discussion in its next meeting
- If the board gives an in-principle approval, a detailed proposal will be taken up and the matter communicated to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF).
- The officials also stated that area will remain a reserve forest even after de-notification as an elephant reserve
About Shivalik Elephant Reserve
- The Shivalik Elephant Reserve was notified in the year 2002
- It is spread over 5,000 sq km
Indian Elephants
- The Indian elephant Elephas maximus occurs in the central and southern Western Ghats, North-east India, eastern India and northern India and in some parts of southern peninsular India.
- It is included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).
- It occurs in 16 of the 28 states in the country and is showing an increasing trend across its distributional range.