Jumbos stare at extinction as poaching remains biggest threat
Bhubaneswar: Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) celebrated the World Elephant Day by organising a mass awareness programme here Sunday.
NZP’s deputy director Jayant Kumar Das highlighted in parts of Asia, poaching of elephants for ivory remains a serious threat to the species.
Das also stressed on the rising problems of human-elephant conflict which has led to crop damage and farmers incurring economic losses, as well as casualties on both sides.
“Poaching of tuskers impacts the sex ratio that become highly female biased, thereby reducing genetic variations and fecundity,” he said.
He added that to tackle the poaching menace, the central government in 1992 launched Project Elephant.
“Under this project the centre provides financial and technical assistance to major elephant bearing states in the country,” Das said.
During the event, the jumbos were treated with coconuts, bananas, sugarcanes, maize, grapes, and apples and the mahouts too were felicitated for their dedication.
In his address, NZP’s director HS Upadhyay informed that the World Elephant Day is being celebrated annually August 12 since its inception in 2012. “The motive was to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants who have been listed ‘endangered’ and ‘vulnerable’ respectively on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red List of threatened species,” he said. He highlighted that the celebration of the day is aimed at “sharing knowledge and seek positive solutions” for better care and management of captive and wild elephants. Upadhyay concluded saying, “A conservationist has stated that both the African and Asian elephants face extinction within twelve years. At Nandankanan we are doing our bit to save these species from dying out.”
Among others DCF of NZP KL Purohit and AK Roy along with local PRI members were present at the event.
