Elephant to be declared national heritage animal
It is worshipped and used in religious rituals, but also slogs it out
in labour camps; it features prominently in Indian history and
mythology, but is also an icon of modern India.
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An elephant enjoys a bath at the Sankarankulangara Temple in
Thrissur. Picture by K. C. Sowmish |
In a bid to give elephant conservation the same momentum of national
pride that ‘Save the Tiger’ campaigns evoke, the Government has decided
to declare the jumbo as a national heritage animal.
This comes in the wake of last year’s move to have the Gangetic
dolphin declared as the national aquatic animal, as it symbolises the
health of the country’s rivers.
The Indian government is backing up its declaration with a move to
amend the Wildlife Protection Act and set up a National Elephant
Conservation Authority (NECA), similar to the existing National Tiger
Conservation Authority.
The amendment is likely to be moved in the winter session of
Parliament, according to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.
This must be accompanied by a “substantial enhancement in the
budgetary outlay,” said the Project Elephant task force, headed by
conservationist Mahesh Rangarajan, which submitted its recommendations
to Ramesh Tuesday.
NECA would help in long-term planning and a coordinated effort to
conserve the elephant - with its current population of over 25,000
animals - well before its numbers dwindle to panic levels like the 1,000
tigers left in India.
Recommended steps include increasing the number of elephant reserves
in the country, monitoring elephant populations, curbing, poaching, and
man-animal conflicts, and protecting elephant corridors by regulating
development activities and relocating local populations.
Apart from wild jumbos, the 3,500 captive elephants - many at temples
and zoos - must also be protected, says the report.
The Hindu |
