Mysuru: The Forest Department conducted a day-long workshop yesterday to train volunteers and staff for the forthcoming All-India Synchronized Asian Elephant Census to be held in Karnataka from May 16 to 19 along with other southern States. Around 210 volunteers and 140 staff took part.

The workshop was attended by 210 volunteers and 140 staff members and was the second in the series of four such workshops slated to be held across Karnataka. While the first was held at Bannerghatta, the third is slated to be held at Chikkamagaluru on April 29 and the fourth at Dandeli on May 2.

The volunteers were briefed about the objectives and the methodology to be adopted for the elephant census conducted once every five years and explained about their role in the entire exercise.

Though the previous census figures revealed that there were 6,072 elephants in Karnataka, forest officials with the help of the volunteers will conduct the latest census on line transect method on May 17, block counting and waterholes where elephant herds could be seen for population demography data on May 18 and 19, respectively.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests G.V. Ranga Rao, Chief Conservator of Forests Elephant Project Dilip Kumar and others spoke on the elephant census and held practical sessions on dung count line transact method and methodology of elephant population estimation exercise.

The census exercise which will kick off on May 16 simultaneously across all protected areas and forests identified to harbour elephant population, will begin with a study of the elephant distribution map. The participants were imparted theoretical lessons on line transect and block counting in the morning. Practical sessions were held late in the afternoon.

The protocol for population estimation is designed by the Project Elephant Directorate, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and will help determine the population structure besides the age and sex ratios of the elephants.

While the census will be held across the State, the Mysore Elephant Reserve (MER), spread across Bhadra-Nagarahole-Bandipur-BRT Wildlife Sanctuary, Cauvery Wildlife Reserve, and Bannerghatta, covering more than 11,000 sq km, harbours most of the elephants in the State.