Environmental groups in Kerala have formally demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the escalating deaths of wild elephants across the state, pointing to a dramatic collapse in the elephant population and a persistently high mortality rate over the past several years. The demand was placed before a three-day conclave of environmental organisations and activists in Thiruvananthapuram on 8 October 2026.

A Population in Freefall

According to Kerala Forest Department records, the state had an estimated 5,135 wild elephants in 2005. By 2023, that figure had dropped to 2,386 — and the 2024 census placed it even lower, at 1,793. That represents a decline of roughly 65% over two decades, a trajectory that conservationists describe as alarming. The Forest Department has attributed some fluctuation to elephant movement across state borders into neighbouring states, but activists argue that cross-border migration alone cannot account for numbers of this magnitude.

Scale of Mortality

A government-appointed expert committee recorded 744 wild elephant deaths in Kerala between April 2019 and March 2025 — an average of approximately 124 deaths per year. The committee estimated the annual mortality rate at between 4.45% and 6.2%. A longer historical record is equally stark: an earlier assessment documented 1,260 elephant deaths between 2011 and 2026, according to data cited in a recent report. The figures cover both natural and human-induced causes.

Geographic Concentration of Deaths

A recent GIS mapping exercise covering 1,196 recorded mortality cases identified a strong geographic clustering of deaths. Idukki district topped the list with 226 recorded deaths, followed by Ernakulam (203), Palakkad (152), Wayanad (146), and Malappuram (140). Together, these five districts accounted for 867 records — approximately 72.5% of all mapped mortality. Idukki, Ernakulam, and Palakkad alone contributed 581 records, close to half the total.

Poaching Fears and Key Demands

Environmental groups raised concerns about the recovery of elephant tusks at several death sites, warning that this pointed to possible poaching activity. The gathering, called Vana Spandanam, demanded an independent and detailed investigation into the causes and circumstances of each death, alongside a probe supervised by a special team under the oversight of the Kerala High Court. Activists also called for concrete action to protect elephant corridors and to clear obstructions from traditional migration routes.

Spotlight on Idukki Collector

The meeting praised Idukki Collector Dr Dineshan Cheruvatt for initiatives he has reportedly taken to remove such corridor obstructions, and expressed solidarity with him in the face of what the groups described as threats against him. The gathering demanded the registration of cases against those allegedly issuing such threats. Wayanad Nature Conservation Society President N. Badusha presided over the event. Environmental groups warned that without urgent intervention, continued deaths at the current rate could threaten the long-term survival of wild elephants in Kerala.