Maarg Manthan · Topic 20.2

MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) Sites in India

Environment & Ecology › Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment · Topic 20.2

MIKE stands for Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants, an international programme under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that measures levels and trends of illegal killing of elephants, and the factors behind them, at selected sites in Africa and Asia. It was set up by a CITES Conference of the Parties resolution in 1997 and started work in 2001, with the aim of helping range states manage elephants and building their capacity, and with a technical and financial support system funded largely by donors such as the European Union. MIKE collects carcass data from patrols in designated sites and uses a measure called PIKE, the Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants, defined as the number of illegally killed elephants divided by the total number of carcasses found. A PIKE value above about 0.5 is taken to show a poaching problem. India joined the South Asia MIKE programme in 2003 and has about 10 designated sites across elephant ranges in the north-east, east, north and south, with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change coordinating through Project Elephant. Because only some male Asian elephants carry tusks, poaching in India has a different pattern from Africa, while electrocution, train collisions, poisoning and conflict kill more elephants. Hedge details: the number of sites and national data change, so check the latest CITES and Project Elephant reports.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment

At a Glance

Full form Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants
Under CITES
Started 2001
Index PIKE
India joined 2003
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the list of protected areas and narrows to elephants, linking Project Elephant with the international trade convention covered in the macro on global governance. Previous topic: Project Tiger 1 April 1973 Project Elephant 1992 Tiger reserve law…">National Parks, Tiger Reserves and Elephant Reserves of India. Next topic: Biosphere Reserves in India and in UNESCO’s World Network.

What Does MIKE Measure and How?

Aspect	Details
Programme	Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants, a CITES programme in Africa and Asia
Origin	Mandated by a CITES resolution in 1997; field work began in 2001
Data	Carcass reports collected on patrols at designated MIKE sites
PIKE	Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants: illegal kills divided by total carcasses
Threshold	A PIKE value above about 0.5 signals concern
India	Joined in 2003 under South Asia MIKE; MoEFCC and Project Elephant coordinate
Sites in India	About 10, spread across the north-east, east, north and south elephant ranges

What Are the Findings and Issues in India?

Tusks: only some male Asian elephants have tusks, so ivory poaching is limited
Sex ratio: heavy killing of tuskers skews sex ratios in some areas
Electrocution: illegal fences and low-hanging power lines kill elephants
Trains: collisions occur on tracks through elephant habitat
Poisoning: crop protection and retaliation cause deaths
Corridors: loss of corridors increases conflict
Data: PIKE in India is usually reported to be lower than in some African sites
Response: Project Elephant funds patrol, fencing, corridors and compensation

What Else Should You Remember?

CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, signed in 1973 and in force from 1975
India and CITES: India joined CITES in 1976
CITES appendices: Appendix I covers species threatened with extinction
Asian elephant in CITES: listed in Appendix I
African elephant: most populations in Appendix I, with some in Appendix II
Ivory trade: international commercial trade is banned
Wildlife Act: Schedule I protects the elephant in India
Ivory in India: trade in ivory is banned, with limited exceptions for old stocks that were regulated
ETIS: Elephant Trade Information System, a sister database to MIKE
MIKE in Africa: has many more sites than Asia
Asia MIKE: sites in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and others
Local patrol data: forest staff note carcasses, tusks and cause of death
Elephant deaths: India reports hundreds of elephant deaths each year from all causes, and the numbers should be checked
Elephant population: the 2017 census gave 27,312 for India
Project Elephant: launched in 1992 for elephant corridors, conflict and welfare of captive elephants
Elephant reserves: 33 by recent lists
Elephant corridors: about 100 identified in recent studies
Captive elephants: regulated under the Wildlife Act
Gajah report: Elephant Task Force of 2010 led to the heritage animal status
Compensation: states pay for crop loss and human deaths
Rail mitigation: speed limits and alerts on vulnerable stretches
Link to previous: see National Parks, Tiger Reserves and Elephant Reserves of India
Link to next: see Biosphere Reserves in India and in UNESCO’s World Network
Link to trade: see Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
Caution: site lists and numbers change, so check CITES and the ministry
Exam hint: remember MIKE under CITES, PIKE and India’s 2003 entry
Why monitor: Without a baseline, a rise in poaching cannot be told apart from normal deaths or better reporting
Law enforcement link: MIKE results guide patrol effort, intelligence sharing and border cooperation with neighbouring states
Capacity building: Training of forest staff in carcass recording and data entry is part of the programme
Limits of PIKE: The index depends on how many carcasses are found, so low patrol effort can hide poaching
Species in focus: Both African and Asian elephants are covered, but this topic deals mainly with the Asian elephant
Home range: Elephants move over large areas, so site data must be read along with landscape and corridor data

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Programme: MIKE under CITES
Index: PIKE
India: Joined 2003
Current affairs link: Elephant deaths
Common errors: confusing MIKE with ETIS

As an analytical point, India’s elephant deaths come less from poaching than from conflict, electrocution and train hits. MIKE data is useful for the poaching side, but landscape management matters more for survival.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Tool PIKE
Body CITES
Threat Conflict

What Came Next?

The next topic covers Biosphere Reserves in India and in UNESCO’s World Network. Next topic: Biosphere Reserves in India and in UNESCO’s World Network.

Key People and Terms

MIKE Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants
PIKE Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants
ETIS Elephant Trade Information System
CITES Trade convention
Tusker Tusked male
Corridor Habitat link

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

MIKE is under CITES.
Index is PIKE.
Started 2001.
India joined 2003.
Related: ETIS.

Do Not Confuse With

MIKE and ETIS Killing data versus trade data
MIKE and Project Elephant International monitoring versus national scheme
PIKE and population Share of illegal kills versus number of animals

Memory Hook

MIKE counts the carcass, PIKE gives the share; CITES keeps the care.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for full form, body and index. These points help.

Aim Monitor poaching
Data PIKE
Gaps Other causes

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“What is the MIKE programme and how does it help in the conservation of elephants in India?”

How to Answer

Aim Monitor.
Data PIKE.
India Sites.
Gaps Conflict.

GS Relevance

Prelims: full form, parent body, PIKE. GS Paper 3: wildlife protection and illegal trade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does MIKE stand for?

MIKE stands for Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants. It is a programme under CITES that tracks the levels and trends of illegal killing of elephants at designated sites in Africa and Asia. It began in 2001 and provides data to help countries manage elephants and decide on trade measures.

What is PIKE?

PIKE is the Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants, calculated as the number of illegally killed elephants divided by the total number of elephant carcasses found. A PIKE value above about 0.5 is taken as a sign of a poaching problem at a site, though the index depends on how well carcasses are found and reported.

When did India join MIKE?

India joined the South Asia MIKE programme in 2003. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change coordinates the work through Project Elephant, and a set of sites in elephant ranges across the north-east, east, north and south report carcass data, with the number of sites subject to updates.

Is ivory poaching the main threat to elephants in India?

No. Only some male Asian elephants have tusks, so ivory poaching is less common than in Africa. Most unnatural deaths in India are due to electrocution, train accidents, poisoning and retaliation in human-elephant conflict, so corridor protection, safer fences and railway mitigation matter greatly.

How is MIKE different from ETIS?

MIKE records illegal killing at selected field sites, based on carcass data, while the Elephant Trade Information System, or ETIS, tracks seizures of ivory and illegal trade across countries. Together, the two systems are used by CITES to judge the link between poaching and trade and to guide decisions.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 MIKE is a programme under CITES.

True

Started in 2001.

2 PIKE measures the number of elephants in India.

False

It measures the share of illegal kills.

3 India joined MIKE in 2003.