The Orissa Environmental Society (OES) in collaboration with the Indian Science Congress, Bhubaneswar Chapter organised a workshop on ‘Wildlife and Climate Change’ to mark the 60th Wildlife Week and the Elephant Day on Monday.
The workshop held under the chairmanship of former Utkal University VC Prof Satyananda Acharya was attended by former Environment Director of Odisha Dr Bhagirathi Behera and OES functionaries Dr JK Panigrahi, Pravakar Rout, Dr lP Mishra, Dr lala AK Singh, Dr NC Mishra, Dr CR Mishra, Dr BC Panda, Nihar Acharya and Er Prakash Jena.
The speakers expressed concern that various wildlife species, including elephants, are becoming endangered and some of them even are facing extinction threat due to degradation of natural habitats, global warming and climate change.
“Specially, elephants are falling victim to industrialisation, expanding human settlement, electrocution, railway accidents and poaching. Nearly, 28,000 elephants of the country are now vulnerable. In this context, the identified 23 corridors in the State must be established at the earliest to provide them stretches of greenery for their movement,” the speakers opined.