Dehradun, July 11: Wildlife experts in Uttarakhand have expressed surprise after an adult wild elephant was sighted at an altitude of nearly 2,900 metres in the Pauri Garhwal district, an area not traditionally known to support elephant populations.

The elephant was seen near Bhawansi village, close to Paukhal in the Dugadda development block, at an elevation of around 2,982 metres. According to local residents, the animal had been moving through nearby forests and agricultural fields for the past two days, raising concerns over possible crop damage, property loss and risks to human safety.

Wildlife experts believe the sighting is highly unusual because elephants in Uttarakhand are generally confined to the state’s foothills and lowland forests, including the Rajaji landscape, the Corbett landscape and the Haridwar forest division. The appearance of an elephant in the higher Himalayan region has prompted experts to closely monitor its movements.

Senior wildlife scientist Dr. Dinesh Chandra Bhatt suggested that the elephant may have travelled uphill from the Haridwar forest division or the Rajaji landscape by following the Hinwal River valley. He cautioned that if elephants begin regularly moving into hill villages, local communities—already coping with crop and livestock losses caused by leopards, bears, wild boars and monkeys—could face even greater challenges.

Experts say the unusual movement could be linked to habitat pressure, changing weather patterns, food availability or disruptions in traditional elephant corridors. However, they stressed that detailed monitoring is required before drawing definitive conclusions.

According to the latest All India Synchronised Elephant Estimation Report, India has 22,446 wild elephants, with Uttarakhand supporting an estimated population of 1,792. Forest department records also indicate that 542 elephant deaths have been recorded in the state between 2001 and June 2026, while 151 people have lost their lives in human-elephant conflict over the past 15 years, highlighting the growing need for effective conservation and conflict mitigation measures.

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