INDIA'S MOST WELL KNOWN ELEPHANT EXPERT PRESENTS VIEWS ON ELEPHANT POLO

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This message was sent by Mr Craig Redmond of the Captive Animals Protection

Society in UK. To read the full story, please click on the following link:

 

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Thank you Mr Redmond for your concern.

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*Professor and chairman of the Centre of Ecological Sciences at the Indian

Institute of Science, Bengalooru, Dr Sukumar has a different take: " The

elephant is a dignified and an intelligent animal. It is in the elite league

of primates (of which humans are a part) with a sense of self-awareness.

Using such an animal for a mere spectator sport is, in my personal opinion,

inhuman and cruel. "

 

" An animal whose intelligence and emotional makeup is so similar to humans

should not be used for mere fun and games, " Dr Sukumar said.*

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Profile: Raman Sukumar * " If the tiger is the spirit of the jungle, the

elephant is its body. " *

 

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Raman Sukumar is one of the world's leading authorities of the Asian

elephant <http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/elephant.html>. He has spent

nearly 2 decades observing elephants in the wild trying to better understand

them. Speaking of his work with elephants and its importance, Sukumar

states, " Many species are claimed to be flagships for conservation. But no

species can make stronger claim to this than the Asian elephant. If the

tiger is the spirit of the jungle, the elephant is its body. Elephants are

beloved locally and globally. They prosper in large forests that are home to

a great number of plant and animal species. "

 

As a high school student, Sukumar first started to think about working in

the field of conservation. His grandmother used to call him *vanavasi *(the

Tamil word for " forest dweller " ). It was not until he had to choose a

research topic in college that he began to study elephants. This was when he

began to study the conflict between human and elephant use of the same land.

Unless this conflict could be understood and resolved, elephants would not

have a chance to survive in the wild.

 

Sukumar is now the Deputy Chairman of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of

IUCN (World Conservation Union). As Deputy Chairman he oversees the surveys

of elephant habitats. He works with the countries where the Asian elephant

is found to plan conservation strategies, and to find ways to resolve

human-elephant conflicts.

 

By focusing on the elephant, Sukumar's work will also help to preserve many

more species in the elephant's habitat.

 

Sukumar lives and works in India with his wife and daughters. If you have

questions for Sukumar about the wildlife of India, you may reach him by

e-mail: rsuku.