Answer: Karnataka
Notes: India's wild elephant population is 22,446 according to the All-India Synchronous Elephant Estimation (SAIEE) 2025 by Wildlife Institute of India (WII). This is about 17% lower than the 2017 estimate of 27,312, but figures are not directly comparable due to DNA-based counting methods used in 2025. The 2025 census, conducted with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Project Elephant, is India’s first DNA-based elephant count. Western Ghats are the largest stronghold with 11,934 elephants, followed by Northeastern Hills & Brahmaputra floodplains (6,559). Karnataka leads with 6,013 Elephants followed by Assam 4,159, Tamil Nadu 3,136, Kerala 2,785, Uttarakhand 1,792.
