Experts seek more habitat and corridor protection for Asian elephants

“We have focused enough on rhinos and have saved them. It is now high time to focus on elephants. They are one of the most critically endangered species. As the conference has resolved, we need to no enable trans-boundary protection and maintenance of biological diversity keeping the Asian elephant in the forefront as a flagship species,” Ranjit Borthakur of Balipara Foundation, which anchored the two-day event, said.

The Northeastern region, the conference put on record, has over 9,300 elephants, a large number of which also travel from Myanmar in the east to Bhutan in the west, in the process using 58 vital corridors, several of which have been alarmingly encroached upon. Protecting, augmenting and strengthening green corridors not only at the Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Myanmar borders but also within the region using innovative management strategies can go a long way in conserving elephants, experts said.

The conference took serious note of the rising trend in elephant-human conflicts, and called for using innovative measures in a demonstrable manner to reduce such conflicts. Industries, tea gardens and other development projects like dams have also created hurdles to free movement of elephants, the conference noted.

“Numaligarh Refinery in Assam for instance was set up on a site that was a known elephant habitat. While locating the refinery say 10 kms away could have not dislocated a large number of elephants, nothing can be done there now except securing other adjoining areas for the elephants,” Borthakur, briefing on the deliberations, said.