A two-day meeting of southern India's elephant range States was held in Coimbatore on September 5-6, 2024, to discuss regional action plans for managing human-elephant conflicts and enhancing elephant welfare in captivity.
Coimbatore: A crucial meeting of the elephant range States of southern India was convened in Coimbatore on September 5 and 6, 2024. The primary objective was to refine the components of the regional action plan for comprehensive understanding and management of human-elephant conflict.
The two-day event, organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), not only focused on discussing the action plan for mitigating human-elephant conflicts in southern States but also included a capacity-building workshop. This workshop was specifically designed for elephant custodians and handlers, aiming to enhance elephant welfare in captivity.
Jitendra Kumar, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary of MoEF&CC, presided over the meeting. The event saw participation from key officials including Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj, Additional Director General of Forests (Project Tiger & Elephants) and Member Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority; Dheeraj Mittal, Additional Inspector General of Forests (Project Tiger & Elephant) MoEF&CC; Sudhanshu Gupta, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Tamil Nadu; and Chief Wildlife Wardens from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.
The gathering brought together a diverse group of forest department officials from the four southern States. Attendees included Chief Conservators of Forests, Field Directors, District Forest Officers, Assistant Conservators of Forests, Forest Veterinarians, Forest Range Officers, and retired officials from the Forest Department.
A significant aspect of the meeting was the interaction between forest veterinarians, scientists, and subject specialists in elephant management from across India with temple authorities and private elephant owners. This exchange aimed to enlighten mahouts and other stakeholders about captive elephant welfare. The event also honored field staff who have made notable contributions to elephant conservation, presenting them with mementos and field kits.
The two-day event, organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), not only focused on discussing the action plan for mitigating human-elephant conflicts in southern States but also included a capacity-building workshop. This workshop was specifically designed for elephant custodians and handlers, aiming to enhance elephant welfare in captivity.
Jitendra Kumar, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary of MoEF&CC, presided over the meeting. The event saw participation from key officials including Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj, Additional Director General of Forests (Project Tiger & Elephants) and Member Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority; Dheeraj Mittal, Additional Inspector General of Forests (Project Tiger & Elephant) MoEF&CC; Sudhanshu Gupta, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Tamil Nadu; and Chief Wildlife Wardens from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.
The gathering brought together a diverse group of forest department officials from the four southern States. Attendees included Chief Conservators of Forests, Field Directors, District Forest Officers, Assistant Conservators of Forests, Forest Veterinarians, Forest Range Officers, and retired officials from the Forest Department.
A significant aspect of the meeting was the interaction between forest veterinarians, scientists, and subject specialists in elephant management from across India with temple authorities and private elephant owners. This exchange aimed to enlighten mahouts and other stakeholders about captive elephant welfare. The event also honored field staff who have made notable contributions to elephant conservation, presenting them with mementos and field kits.