Is Isolation of Protected Habitats the Prime Conservation Concern for Endangered Asian Elephants in Shivalik Landscape

7 Abstract: In north-west India, many protected habitats are rapidly becoming isolated primarily because of growing human population, expansion of agriculture land and increasing infrastructure of motor roads, passing across the different protected areas. We assessed the impact of national highways on wildlife corridors and on the elephant's distribution within the 'Shivalik Elephant Reserve'. All the highways discussed spreads across the potential elephant's habitat and are being used by elephants round the year specially during dry period. However, elephant's movement was observed throughout the year on Haridwar - Bijnor national highway, which links the Khara forest of the Rajaji National Park with Anjani forest of the Haridwar forest division and is a crucial wildlife corridor as far as elephant's movement is concerned chiefly due to presence of river Ganges. Wildlife corridors, which are situated across this landscape traditionally maintains and still holds the healthy population of Asian elephants as a single entity. Elephants use the Chilla - Motichur, Motichur - Kansrao - Barkot, Motichur - Gohri and Rawasan - Sonanadi wildlife corridor on seasonal basis and their movements are more common during summer whereas Khara - Anjani wildlife corridor is being utilized by elephants throughout the year and still holds one of the strong sex - ratio of eastern population of elephants. During the last one decade, vehicle traffic pressure in documented highways has increased to two folds and elephants are not in the situation to cross the road easily specially during evening hours. Mortality rate among small mammals and large carnivores has also increased during the recent past. The majority of documented corridors in 'Shivalik Elephant Reserve' now seem to be in a critical condition. The long-term effects will include genetic isolation, habitat fragmentation within the same forest and enhancement in the human - elephant conflict in adjoining areas. Understanding how animal populations react to such vast events and their behavioural response is thus essential for addressing future challenges for wildlife management and conservation.