How to coexist: Kovai to host Elephant Day meet on August 12
"The annual event reaffirms the global commitment to conserve one of the planet's most iconic species, the elephant, and to strengthen measures to ensure their long-term survival," an official release said.
World Elephant Day 2025 to be celebrated in Coimbatore on August 12 (Photo@MoEF&CC)
CHENNAI: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, will organise the World Elephant Day celebration on August 12 in Coimbatore.
"The annual event reaffirms the global commitment to conserve one of the planet's most iconic species, the elephant, and to strengthen measures to ensure their long-term survival," an official release said.
The event will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, in the presence of Union Minister of State Kriti Vardhan Singh and Tamil Nadu Forest Minister RS Rajakannappan.
The workshop aims to provide a platform for elephant range states to share their challenges related to human-elephant coexistence and discuss the mitigation measures being implemented in their respective regions.
Moreover, a nationwide awareness programme will be initiated, engaging approximately 12 lakh school children from about 5,000 schools, underscoring the extensive public outreach and commitment to elephant conservation.
India is home to nearly 60% of the world's wild elephant population, with 33 Elephant Reserves and 150 identified Elephant Corridors as per the 2023 Report on Elephant Corridors in India. Tamil Nadu sustains a significant population of elephants and plays a vital role in mitigating human-elephant conflict. The Coimbatore event will serve as a platform for foresters, policymakers, civil society representatives, and wildlife experts to exchange ideas on conservation strategies and conflict resolution, the release said.
The workshop comes at a time when incidents of elephants straying into human settlements in search of food and water have risen, necessitating innovative solutions and cooperation among states.
Interestingly, Monday saw yet another protest after the news of a 62-year-old estate worker getting trampled to death by a wild elephant in Gudalur in the Nilgiris.