GPS Collars Track Elephants for Ardh Kumbh Safety

Forest authorities in Uttarakhand have proposed deploying GPS-enabled tracking collars on six wild tuskers to ensure public safety and minimize human-wildlife conflict during the Ardh Kumbh Mela in Haridwar. This initiative, a collaboration with experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), aims to provide real-time spatial monitoring of elephant herds. The goal is to enable forest personnel to intercept elephants before they enter the Mela zone, agricultural fields, or residential areas.

Rapid urban expansion in areas like Shyampur and Haridwar has increased elephant movement near human habitations, triggering conflicts. The GPS tracking will function as an early warning system, allowing for intervention and also provide long-term ecological data on migratory corridors and habitat preferences. This follows a similar exercise in 2020 when four elephants were radio-collared ahead of the 2021 Kumbh Mela. Uttarakhand is home to approximately 1,792 wild elephants.