Top India court orders new steps to protect threatened elephants
New Delhi: India’s top court has ordered tough new steps to protect wild elephant herds as habitat loss and human-elephant conflict intensify, a move welcomed by campaigners on Friday. The world’s most populous nation is also home to the majority of Asian elephants, a species listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and whose habitat is increasingly being sliced…
New Delhi: India's top court has mandated stringent measures to safeguard wild elephant populations as habitat loss and human-elephant conflict escalate, a decision hailed by activists on Friday. India, the world's most populous nation, is also home to the vast majority of Asian elephants, a species classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Human activities like highways, railways, and mining are progressively encroaching upon their habitats. The Supreme Court directed states to halt the obstruction of elephant corridors - pathways utilized by herds to traverse between rapidly diminishing habitats. This includes ceasing any coercive measures aimed at altering elephants' natural movement patterns.
The ruling also imposed a ban on "hulla parties," gatherings where people employ "fireballs" and burning stakes to deter elephants. The court's decision, announced on Monday, referenced existing ministry guidelines to ensure "unobstructed" elephant corridors, but these paths are often impeded. Wildlife advocate Prerna Singh Bindra, who represented the case for free, criticized state governments for backing "horrifically cruel practices," highlighting instances where thousands of people chase elephants using burning spears, exacerbating the conflict.
There are fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants in the wild, with the majority residing in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Despite being legally protected and revered as India's "national heritage animal," elephants are increasingly confronted by habitat loss, fragmentation, and intensified human-elephant conflict. Bindra, a former member of India's top wildlife conservation and policy body, the National Board for Wildlife, emphasized that the court's order is crucial for ensuring elephant survival in one of the world's most densely populated regions.
She expressed hope that the survey mandated by the Supreme Court will translate into tangible action to protect these majestic creatures.
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