Project Elephant

Primary aim of this project is to end man-elephant conflict and also to protect wild elephants from poachers.

North East News Agency

Project Elephant was launched in February, 1992 to assist States having free ranging populations of wild elephants to ensure long term survival of identified viable population of elephants in their natural habitat. The Project is being implemented in 13 states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamilnadu, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. States are provided financial as well as technical assistance in achieving the objectives of the Project. Help is also provided to other States with small populations of elephants for the purpose of census, training of field staff and mitigation of human — elephant conflict.

The activities of the Project are also follows :-

Strengthening of measures of protection of wild elephants from poachers.

Development of scientific and planned management for conservation of elephant habitats and viable population of wild elephants in India.

Ecological restoration of existing natural habitats and migratory routes of elephants.

Promotion of measures of mitigation of human - elephant conflict in problem areas and moderating pressures of human and live stock on crucial elephant habitats.

Eco-development and veterinary care.

Research on issues relating to elephant conversation.

Public education and awareness programmed and capacity building of field staff, mahouts and veterinarians.

During the year 2004-05 an amount of Rs.13.34 crore (Rs.3.05 crore for the North-Eastern States) has been provided to various States for habitat management mitigation of human-eiephant conflict, payment of exgratia relief for loss of human life and crops caused by wild elephants, strengthening of anti-poaching measures, capacity building of the field staff, registration of domesticated elephant using microchips etc.

Some of the major achievements made during the year are as follows :

A programme for registration of domesticated elephants with the help of microchips was carried out in the country during the year.

A training of trainer programme for the officers of elephants reserves in Uttarachal, UP, Jharkhand and Orissa was held at Corbett National Park with the help of Wildlife Institute of India in January 2005.

Arrangements for refresher courses for veterinarians were made with the help of Kerala Agricultural University (Trichur).

Training programmes for mahouts were organized in Assam and Kerala.

Programme has been initiated for the regular and systematic monitoring of wild elephants under the MIKE (Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants) programme of CITES (Convention of International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Ten sensitive sites have been identified for this purpose in different part os the country. India was elected as the chairperson of the sub-regional steering committee of MIKE for South Asia.

A Wildlife Crime Cell was set up to prepare a data base on Wildlife offences and strengthen informer network in some sensitive areas in the country.

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