Consider the following statements : 1. Assam has the highest number of elephants in India, followed by Karnataka. 2. Asian elephants are listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

The correct answer is Neither 1 nor 2. In News The herd of 22 wild elephants that have been in Kanker, Balod, Gariaband, and Dhamtari districts of Chhattisgarh for the last nine years, has successfully surmounted the last natural barrier to settle down in its new habitat in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. Key Points Asian elephants are listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Hence statement 1 is not correct. India has lost their viable elephant populations due to loss of habitat, poaching, etc. Current population estimates indicate that there are about 50,000-60,000 Asian elephants in the world. Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054). Hence statement 2 is not correct.