- This day also highlights the challenges encountered by the elephants, including habitat loss, poaching for ivory, human-elephant conflicts, and the need for better conservation efforts.
The theme of World Elephant Day 2023 observed on 12th August 2023 is “Ending the Illegal Wildlife Trade“.
- The 2023 theme emphasises the significance of stopping the illegal trade in elephants and other animal products.
Background:
i.The idea of observing World Elephant Day was given by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark of Canazwest Pictures and Sivaporn Dardarananda, Secretary–General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand.
ii.The first World Elephant Day was officially founded, supported, and launched by Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on 12 August 2012.
- Since 2012, Patricia Sims continues to lead, support, and direct World Elephant Day, which is now recognised and celebrated by over 100 wildlife organisations in countries across the globe.
Species of Elephant:
There are 3 species of elephants namely, African Bush Elephants, also known as African Savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana), African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis), and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus).
Red List of IUCN:
i.According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the ‘African forest elephant‘ is now listed as ‘Critically Endangered‘, and the ‘African savanna elephant‘ as Endangered.
ii.The Asian elephant has been listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List since 1986.
Key Facts:
i.As per IUCN assessments 2021, the African forest elephant numbers have fallen by more than 86% over a period of 31 years and the population of African savanna elephants decreased by at least 60% over the last 50 years.
ii.As per the IUCN Asian Elephant Red List Assessment 2020 (Assessed in 2019), the population estimation as of 2018, collectively across all range countries, suggests a global Asian Elephant abundance of 48,323–51,680 individuals in the wild.
Elephant population in India:
i.India is home to 60% of the Global population of Asian Elephants.
ii.The current population estimates indicate that there are about 50,000-60,000 Asian elephants in the world and there are nearly 30,000 elephants in India.
iii.According to IUCN 2020 Assessment, there were around 29,964 numbers in India.
Project Elephant:
i.It was launched in 1992, intended to preserve habitat and establish elephant corridors, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) provides technical and financial support for elephant conservation and welfare and the support.
ii.It is to develop a comprehensive database of all captive elephants and will help control the illegal trade of wild elephants.
- Elephant reserves are the fundamental management unit under Project Elephant. As on April 2023, there are 33 elephant reserves spread over 80,778 sq kilometers across India.
Note: On April 2023, President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the ‘Gaj Utsav 2023’ at the Kaziranga National Park (World Heritage Site (1985)) in Assam to mark 30 years of Project Elephant
Few Efforts of the Government of India for Elephants:
i.The Indian Government declared the elephant a National Heritage Animal of India, notedly Indian elephant is accorded the highest degree of protection under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
- The Act bans the trade of all elephant ivory, and all ivory trade markets and carvings have been closed in India since 1990.
ii.The Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, protects elephant habitats from loss and degradation.
iii.The Government is using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology for elephant corridors, to provide food and water to the animals in the forests in order to reduce the human-animal conflict.
iv.The Gaj Yatra campaign is a nationwide awareness initiative that highlights the importance of securing elephant corridors.
2023 Events in India:
On 12th August 2023, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) addressed a gathering on the occasion of World Elephants Day in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, and emphasised mainstreaming biodiversity in India’s economic development to ensure ecological wellbeing and sustainability.
Report on Elephant Corridors:
i.On the occasion, the Union Minister released the report on the Elephant Corridors of India prepared by Project Elephant.
ii.The report is an outcome of field validation of all the identified elephant corridors in India in collaboration with the State Forest Departments from elephant range states and spans nearly two years of concerted efforts.
iii.It encompasses 150 elephant corridors across India with corresponding maps and is intended to serve as an important reference manual for the elephant corridors of India.
iv.It would help the State Governments in taking proactive measures for the preservation of these corridors, by ensuring the unhindered elephants’ movement to avoid negative human-wildlife interactions.
Gaj Gaurav Awards 2023:
During the occasion, he conferred the Gaj Gaurav Awards 2023 to the awardees for their exemplary contributions to the field of elephant conservation and management. The awards were conferred to:
- Alefnagar Joint Forest Management Committee, West Bengal;
- (Late) Bishwarrajan Panigrahi, (ex) protection squad in the Dhenkanal range of Odisha for his exemplary services;
- Pitambara Gouda, watcher, elephant squad of Rayagada Forest Division in Koraput circle of Odisha;
- Deepak Sharma, Forest Guard, Assistant Gaj Yatra Team, Mahasamund Forest Division, Chhattisgarh;
- Dr Mirza Vaseem, veterinary officer, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Karnataka.
Highlights:
i.As part of the efforts of the MoEFCC and the Ministry of Railways, the State Forest Departments, and National Institutions like the Wildlife Institute of India, about 110 critical stretches across the Railway network in India that pass through elephant habitats have been identified.
- In these critical stretches, multipronged strategies are planned to minimize Railway-related elephant collisions.
- The Ministry of Railways is examining, to replicate the technology-based intrusion detection system along the tracks in Odisha and other States in India.
ii.For the first time ever, the MoEFCC has commenced carrying out management effectiveness and evaluation of the Elephant Reserves across India. 4 elephant reserves across the four elephant-bearing regions of India have been identified for piloting the process.
iii.In India, the Elephant Reserve network increased from 76,508 square kilometers to 80,777 square kilometers, comprising of 33 Elephant Reserves during the last two years.
iv.The Union Minister also released the second edition of the Atlas of Elephant Reserves of India, which is intended to provide basic information on all 33 Elephant Reserves of India.
v.He also Chaired the 19th Steering Committee meeting of Project Elephant in Odisha, and emphasised on the need to mitigate human-elephant conflicts.
