Tigers and elephants have not yet vanished from Jharkhand, but their numbers are dangerously low and their survival is under serious threat. The fall in the population of these wild animals is mainly due to the loss of forest areas caused by deforestation, mining, pollution, and rising human-animal conflicts.
Habitat Destruction and Government Negligence
Experts believe that constant mining, widening of roads and railway tracks, and other development projects inside tiger and elephant territories have caused major damage to their habitats. Along with this, the careless attitude of the state government and the forest department’s failure to restore the affected areas have worsened the situation. This has led to a sharp fall in the number of tigers and elephants across the state.
A national DNA-based wildlife census, released on Tuesday, revealed alarming data about Jharkhand’s elephant population. The report showed a 68% drop in the number of wild elephants over the past eight years, highlighting the severe damage and division of their habitats.
Sharp Decline in Animal Populations
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), in its report “Status of Elephants in India: DNA-based Synchronous All-India Population Estimation of Elephants (SAIEE 2021–25)”, estimated 217 elephants in Jharkhand, compared to 679 counted in 2017. Experts say the main reason for this drop is the migration of elephants to nearby states like Odisha and Chhattisgarh in search of food and safer environments. The tiger population in Jharkhand is also in a worrying condition. The 2022 All India Tiger Estimation report recorded only one tiger in the Palamau Tiger Reserve (PTR), compared to 10 in 2010 and three in 2014.
Failing Conservation Efforts
In February 2025, PTR officials reported a small rise in tiger sightings, confirming at least six tigers in the area. However, most of them are males, and experts fear they might not stay permanently due to a shortage of natural prey. Meanwhile, elephants have been spotted in neighbouring states such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Forest experts believe these elephants migrated from Jharkhand because of mining, road construction, and increased train movement in their native areas. The forest department has done little to protect these species. Large portions of their natural habitats are being destroyed, food sources are shrinking, and grasslands are now used for cattle grazing. The government has not imposed any limits on such grazing, worsening the crisis. Sadly, while tigers and elephants are becoming rare in Jharkhand’s forests, they can still be seen in sanctuaries and zoos — a worrying sign that these majestic creatures are on the path to extinction in the state.
