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August 12, 2024 01:49
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World Elephant Day is observed on August 12, every year to to bring attention to the conservation of both African and Asian elephants. Learn more about the World Elephant Day 2024 Theme & Its Importance here.
World Elephant Day: Every year, the world celebrates World Elephant Day on August 12 to raise awareness about the urgent plight of elephants. The day aims to bring attention to the issues threatening both African and Asian elephants and to promote initiatives for their conservation. However, understanding the significance of World Elephant Day, its history, themes, and conservation efforts in India is crucial, as questions related to wildlife conservation often feature in the UPSC and other Government examinations.
World Elephant Day was co-founded on August 12, 2012, by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark. It was created to highlight the difficulties faced by elephants worldwide and to support organizations working to protect these majestic creatures.
Since then, Patricia Sims has continued to lead World Elephant Day, building global awareness and establishing partnerships with 100 elephant conservation organizations worldwide. Millions of participants have shown their concern for elephants, proving that people love elephants and want to help.
The official theme for World Elephant Day 2024 focuses on “Personifying prehistoric beauty, theological relevance, and environmental importance.” This theme highlights the urgent need to preserve natural habitats to ensure the survival of elephants. It also emphasizes that due to the decline in the elephant population, it is crucial to address habitat conservation as a critical factor.
The primary objective of celebrating World Elephant Day is to raise awareness about the issues affecting elephants, such as poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, and mistreatment in captivity. Every year, approximately 70,000 African elephants are killed for the ivory trade.
The day encourages people and organizations to take concrete steps to protect elephants, ensure their well-being, and preserve their natural habitats.
As of 2024, the elephant population in India is estimated to be around 15,000 individuals throughout Asia. However, in 2024, Tamil Nadu’s elephant population rose to 3063, with a stable and healthy mix of ages and sexes. Conservation efforts have been ongoing, but challenges such as habitat fragmentation, poaching, and human-elephant conflict continue to pose significant threats.
Elephant conservation in India involves various strategies, including:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with various NGOs, work tirelessly to implement these strategies and ensure the long-term survival of elephants in the wild.
The Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) is classified as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List. This classification is due to a significant decline in population numbers caused by habitat loss, fragmentation, and poaching for ivory and other body parts. Conservation efforts focus on mitigating these threats through habitat protection, anti-poaching laws, and awareness campaigns.
The first elephant reserve in India, Singphan Elephant Reserve, was established in 2003 in Nagaland. This reserve aims to provide a safe haven for elephants and promote conservation practices that protect and sustain elephant populations.
A successful scheme for Elephant conservation in India was launched in 1992 by the Government of India, named as Project Elephant. It aims to ensure the long-term survival of viable populations of elephants in their natural habitats. The project focuses on habitat management, mitigation of human-elephant conflicts, and welfare of captive elephants.
The Indian Elephant is widely distributed across 16 of the 28 states in India, particularly in the Southern part of the Western Ghats, North-Eastern, Eastern, Central, and Northern India.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) merged Project Tiger (PT) and Project Elephant (PE) on April 1, 2023, and created a new division called the Project Tiger and Elephant Division. The official order was released on June 23, 2023.
India has a network of 32 elephant reserves spread across 14 states. Some notable reserves include:
These reserves play a crucial role in the protection and management of elephant habitats.
Elephant Reserves in India
| Sl.No. | Elephant Reserve (ER) | State | Total Area
(Sq. Km) |
| 1. | Mayurjharna ER | West Bengal | 414 |
| 2. | Singhbhum ER | Jharkhand | 13440 |
| 3. | Mayurbhanj ER | Odisha | 3214 |
| 4. | Mahanadi ER | Odisha | 1038 |
| 5. | Sambalpur ER | Odisha | 427 |
| 6. | Badalkhol-Tamorpingla | Chhattisgarh | 1143.34 |
| 7. | Lemru Elephant Reserve | Chhattisgarh | 1995.48 |
| 8. | Kameng ER | Arunachal Pradesh | 1892 |
| 9. | Sonitpur ER | Assam | 1420 |
| 10. | Dihing-Patkai ER | Assam | 937 |
| 11. | South Arunachal ER | Arunachal Pradesh | 1957.50 |
| 12. | Kaziranga – Karbi Anglong ER | Assam | 3270 |
| 13. | Dhansiri-Lungding ER | Assam | 2740 |
| 14. | Intanki ER | Nagaland | 202 |
| 15. | Singphan ER | Nagaland | 23.57 |
| 16. | Chirang-Ripu ER | Assam | 2600 |
| 17. | Eastern Dooars ER | West Bengal | 978 |
| 18. | Garo Hills ER | Meghalaya | 3,500 |
| 19. | Mysore ER | Karnataka | 8055.94 |
| 20. | Dandeli ER | Karnataka | 2321.11 |
| 21. | Wayanad ER | Kerala | 1200 |
| 22. | Nilgiri ER | Tamil Nadu | 4663 |
| 23. | Rayala ER | Andhra Pradesh | 766 |
| 24. | Nilambur ER | Kerala | 1419 |
| 25. | Coimbatore ER | Tamil Nadu | 566 |
| 26. | Anamalai ER | Tamil Nadu | 1457 |
| 27. | Anamudi ER | Kerala | 3728 |
| 28. | Agasthyamalai ER | Tamil Nadu | 1197.48 |
| 29. | Periyar | Kerala | 3742 |
| 30. | Srivilliputtur ER | Tamil Nadu | 1249 |
| 31. | Shivalik ER | Uttarakhand | 5405 |
| 32. | Uttar Pradesh ER | Uttar Pradesh | 744 |
| 33. | Terai ER | Uttar Pradesh | 3072.358 |
| TOTAL | 80,777.778 | ||
Plan Bee is an innovative initiative by the Indian Railways to reduce elephant deaths due to train collisions. The project involves installing devices that emit a buzzing sound resembling the buzz of bees, which naturally deter elephants from approaching railway tracks. This simple yet effective method has significantly reduced the number of elephant-train collisions.
Recent developments in elephant conservation include the adoption of advanced technologies such as satellite tracking and GIS mapping to monitor elephant movements and habitats. Additionally, increased international collaboration and funding have bolstered conservation efforts, enabling more comprehensive and effective strategies.
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