Speaking as a resource person at a workshop organised for the enumerators, officials and NGOs at Dubare Elephant Camp near here, he said that those who are engaged in census work should seek the co-operation from environmentalists, teachers and villagers during the census.
The census will help the department to find solution to several problems pertaining to the life of elephants and to prevent the wild elephant menace, he added.
The department is taking all precautions to prevent wild elephant menace. About Rs 75 lakh have been distributed as compensation to farmers, who lost their crop in the wild elephant menace in one year, Markandeya informed.
Deputy Conservator of Forest (Wild Life) Manojkumar Tripati said that the census team should identify blocks and enter the data based on the instructions.
Madikeri Sub Division Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) N T Vijaykumar said that the habitat of elephants should be divided into four categories based on the density of elephant population. Separate data should also be created based on the sex of elephants, he added.
Madikeri Division Deputy Conservator of Forest P B Karunakar, Somwarpet Sub Division ACF M Shashidhar, RFOs M S Chinnappa, Dayanand, Achaiah and others were present.