Danger looming large over India’s elephants
The art exhibition being organised in New Delhi by wildlife activist and Union Minister Maneka Gandhi to raise funds for the elephant conservation programme of Wildlife SOS, is a heartwarming initiative on how all sectors of society can come together for a novel cause. The exhibition is featuring the works of some of India's best known artistes like SH Raza, Anjolie Ela Menon, Ram Kumar, Paresh Maity, Jogen Chowdhary, Subodh Gupta, Binoy Varghese and Seema Kohli but that's not all. These luminaries have tied up with some of the biggest names of the Hindi film industry Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar to add that extra doze of glamour. Together, they have all painted fibreglass elephant statues, which will go up for sale later this month. While organising such fundraisers for humanitarian causes is common, in India, rarely are such initiatives undertaken for animals. The funds raised through this exhibition will be used to improve facilities at the Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura. Run by Wildlife SOS, it is the only elephant rehabilitation centre in the country. Moreover, the scale and glitz quotient of the exhibition no doubt, made possible because of a Union Minister's backing also means that, apart from generating revenue, the exhibition will also help raise public awareness.
The elephant is India's national heritage animal, and yet, despite the exalted status, little effort has been made for its conservation and welfare. Consequently, its numbers have begun to decline. Today, only 22,000 elephants survive in India while 6,000 live in captivity. About 600 elephants die every year of unnatural causes such as poaching, starvation and abuse. Circus elephants receive an especially raw deal they are shackled all day, they don't receive proper food or care, and lead miserable lives. SOS Wildlife, which gained international fame for taking ‘dancing bears' off the streets in India (only an estimated 30 such performers remain), has already rescued some of these elephants. Apart from circuses, elephants are also caught in vicious man-animal conflicts. Elephants are migratory animals that travel long distances along fixed routes. However, their natural paths often cross through the transportation routes of humans, posing immense danger to both. Some efforts have been made to ensure the sanctity of elephant corridors for example, railway authorities are taking additional precautionary measures for trains that pass through elephant corridor. Similarly, the Government of India is also talking to its counterpart in Bangladesh to ensure smooth trans-boundary movement of the elephants. Currently, the border fence, particularly in Meghalaya's Garo Hills and in Tripura, runs right across the elephant corridor. The elephants usually make their way across the fence but upon crossing into foreign territory, often face the wrath of border security personnel.