(IN): 'Elephas maximus':Live And Let Live

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Live And Let Live

 

20 Jun 2009, 0000 hrs IST, P K Ghosh

 

The elephant has been venerated in India since ancient times as the living

manifestation of Lord Ganesha, the benevolent God who protects mankind. To

wildlife biologists, 'Elephas maximus', the Asian elephant, is the largest

herbivore, a 'flagship species' that nurtures and protects the health and

vitality of our

forests<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/COMMENT-Live-And-Let-Live/a\

rticleshow/4677182.cms#>.

History provides interesting insights into the close nexus between the

growth of human civilisations and elephant habitats in and around river

valleys in India, a shared heritage we may destroy only at our own peril.

 

Unwittingly perhaps, we are doing just that driving the wild elephant out of

his home, his living and breeding space, his food sources, his very

sustenance. In that process, we are irreparably damaging our own ecological

future. This is happening in almost all elephant ranges where elephant

populations are concentrated, in south, central, north-eastern and

north-western India.

 

A hundred years ago India's forest cover was estimated to be about 50 per

cent of the total land area of 33 lakh sq km. This came down to 30 per cent

in 1950. The latest figures, according to the State of the Forest Report

2005 just published, put it at 20.6 per cent. Of this, 'dense forest'

(canopy density exceeding 50 per cent) is barely 11.8 per cent, the rest is

degraded or scrub forest.

 

Reliable data is not available of our wild elephant population prior to 1992

when Project Elephant was launched by the Centre following considerable

alarm about declining numbers from habitat loss, poaching etc. The last

census (2002) indicates a total population of about 25,000 (the enumeration

exercise for 2007 is yet to be completed). Historical evidence points to

vast numbers of them roaming India's once abundant forests, even from Moghul

times, and in the days of the British, their numbers may have been in excess

of 1,00,000.

 

Elephants are long-ranging animals. Their survival depends on moving freely

from one feeding ground to another in search of fodder and water. Habitat

fragmentation and loss of connecting forest corridors add to their distress

as much as loss of forest land for agriculture and human settlements. This

is also the main reason for conflict with man since hunger and thirst drive

them to raid crops and water sources in and around villages.

 

The elephant is not an aggressive animal but becomes aggressive if made the

target of aggression by humans. With increasing competition for land and

food resources and constant persecution, they are now beginning to rebel.

The Kerala high court has even had to intervene to regulate the working

hours and unbearable workloads of temple elephants. Researchers from Oregon

State University, studying the increasingly aberrational behaviour of

elephants in many countries, say the animals have a highly developed

sensibility and deep-rooted sense of family, and what we are witnessing is a

" precipitous collapse of elephant culture in a losing battle with

humankind " .

 

In India, given high population densities in and around our reserves, the

danger of aggravated levels of conflict is very real. Project Elephant was

specially tailored to extend financial and technical support to 18 'elephant

states'. Twenty-six 'elephant reserves' have been notified, providing

protection to viable elephant populations over their entire range. Apart

from protecting habitats and securing corridors, Project Elephant assists

state governments in mitigating human-elephant conflicts and payment of

ex-gratia relief for loss of life and crop damage. Domesticated elephants an

estimated 3,600 also come under its protective umbrella. They are faced with

decreasing employment opportunities, inadequate veterinary support,

unskilled mahouts and cruel treatment. Comprehensive legal support is now in

place.

 

Our wild elephant population, barring some regional variations, has more or

less stabilised. But many states have been tardy in implementing migratory

corridor plans or creating effective administrative machinery to manage

those that cut across interstate boundaries. Deterioration of habitat has

added to man-animal conflicts, and poaching continues unabated.

 

There are some plus points in our elephant conservation strategy, but the

future appears anything but rosy. Political moves in the last two years have

cast a shadow on forest and wildlife conservation. The Scheduled Tribes &

Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act is

controversial and, conservationists believe, prone to misuse. Instead of

distributing largesse in the form of ownership of forest lands, the Act

should have clearly defined 'usufruct rights' or the 'right to enjoy the use

and advantages of another's property short of destruction or waste of its

substance'.

 

Tigers<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/COMMENT-Live-And-Let-Live/ar\

ticleshow/4677182.cms#>have

been pushed to the brink. Elephants are not far behind. Forests are

threatened as never before. Modern man's predicament is aptly summed up in

the words of Buddhist poet-philosopher Dharmakirti, who lived in south India

in the 7th century AD: " No one behind, no one ahead./ The path the ancients

cleared has closed./ And the other path, everyone's path, / easy and wide,

goes nowhere./ I am alone and find my way. "

 

If there is hope of saving our forests and wildlife from the ravages of

climate change and collapse of ecosystems, it lies in the younger

generations. They have the power of knowledge and will, it is hoped, acquire

the wisdom and courage to find and follow the right path.

 

The writer is a former member, Project Elephant steering committee

 

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