Elephants in peril

[Guest guest]

The Assam Tribune ( www.assamtribune.com ) EDITORIAL

 

Elephants in peril

 

While the people of Assam and the rest of the North East have often

heard about humans and elephants coming into conflict and the

subsequent fatalities involving both, the real reasons behind such a

phenomenon is not known to many. Conservationists have repeatedly

pointed out that the elephants have been compelled to come near

human settlements because of shrinking habitats. All across the

State the once pristine forests, which play home to a large number

of elephants along with other flora and fauna are now being

destroyed and degraded by human activities. There have been

considerable research that has revealed how loss of habitat has

occurred in several parts of Assam, and some of them have also

quantified that loss. Now a recent study has gone a step further and

documented the status of the present elephant habitat with special

regard to the corridors used by elephants in Assam and other parts

of the country. The study jointly published by the Wildlife Trust of

India and the Asian Elephant Research and Conservation Centre

reveals that across the country, not just elephant habitat but the

corridors are facing anthropogenic threats that range from emergent

to very serious. It is a rare example of concerted work involving

elephant experts, scientists, and forest personnel.

 

The study under the name Right of Passage – Elephant Corridors of

India describes elephant corridors as linear patches of vegetation

that facilitates movement of elephants from one habitat to another.

In the present context of elephant habitat, which has become

fragmented, the corridors serve a number of functions. Elephant

corridors ensure that nutritional, demographic and genetic needs of

the species are fulfilled. If not for the corridors there is a real

possibility of population pressure damaging a particular elephant

habitat unless that is very extensive and rich in food sources.

According to the report, around 88 elephant corridors exist in

various parts of the country. Among these 22 are in the North East,

20 in central India, 20 in Southern India, 14 in North West Bengal,

and 12 in North West India. About 31 per cent of the corridors are

of high ecological value and 67 medium priority. At present many of

the corridors are facing threats from development activities.

Overall, National Highways desiccate 46.6 per cent of the corridors.

On many other areas railroads cut across corridors resulting in

elephant deaths. In Assam, the status of the corridors calls for

serious deliberations because the region is home to a large number

of resident elephants.

 

Those who conducted the survey and research on the crucial spaces

called elephant corridors are of the belief that these corridors

must be maintained or even broadened in certain areas so that long-

term viability of elephant populations could be ensured. They

suggest that the corridors must be well demarcated and the public

notified about their existence. Recognising them as Ecologically

Sensitive Areas could lead one step closer towards better

conservation. Extending legal protection to the corridors could be

another measure that could help in giving the elephants safe

passage. It has also been stated that development policies near or

close to elephant habitats must be thoroughly discussed and all

stakeholders should be fully informed about the importance of the

vital spaces. These recommendations need to be carefully analysed

and examined to see if they can be implemented in the ground level.

The task would not be easy, but perhaps it would be worth trying. We

human beings have great powers at our disposal, and that should make

us more responsible in safeguarding the interest of all other

species, which share our living planet. The right to life and the

right for living space are not privileges exclusive to human beings,

even though many of our activities seem to betray such an assumption.