08 September,2026 07:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
The two adult tuskers, ME3 and MHE-02, spotted together in Gadchiroli on September 7. Pics/By Special Arrangement
Two adult male elephants - MHE-01, also known as ME3, and MHE-02, the former herd tusker - were spotted together in Gadchiroli on September 7, marking the first documented sighting of the two tuskers together since ME3 entered Maharashtra.
ME3 entered Maharashtra in 2024 along with an unidentified tusker and travelled up to the Pangdi area of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) before returning to Gadchiroli. While the unidentified tusker later returned to Chhattisgarh, ME3 stayed back in Maharashtra with the herd.
The sighting could indicate a change in their association, but further monitoring is needed to establish whether the interaction is temporary or becomes more regular. "Since June 2025, when ME3 entered Maharashtra and moved towards Tadoba before staying with the herd, MHE-02 was seen moving alone. Today, for the first time, the two tuskers have been spotted together," said Sengupta.
Wildlife teams are closely tracking the duo to record their interactions and movement patterns. Researchers hope the event offers key insights into how solitary male elephants reconnect and adapt their social behavior after long separations.
In October 2021, a herd of elephants entered the state's Gadchiroli district from Chhattisgarh. While the elephants went back in March 2022, they returned to Gadchiroli in August 2022 and have since remained in Maharashtra. Large-scale coal and iron ore mining, and the resulting disturbance and habitat loss in Chhattisgarh, are believed to be among the reasons for the herd entering Maharashtra.
While in Chhattisgarh, ME3 was seen moving with ME1, ME2 and ME4 for an extended period before the elephants eventually dispersed. The latest sighting could indicate a change in the association between ME3 and MHE-02, though further observations are needed.
Sagnik Sengupta of SAGE Foundation, which has been tracking the herd of wild elephants along with the Maharashtra Forest Department in the Vidarbha region, told mid-day that the elephants' movements have been closely monitored since the herd entered Maharashtra in 2021.
"ME3 began entering Maharashtra in 2024 and, in June 2025, moved towards the Pangdi area of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) before returning to Gadchiroli. However, during this period, MHE-02 was observed moving separately and spending extended periods alone. The two adult males may have previously experienced competition or differences in their movement patterns," said Sengupta.
