Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted India’s significant role in conserving Asian elephants. He emphasised that the majestic elephant has remained an integral part of India’s ecological heritage, stating that the country is home to more than 60% of the world’s wild Asian elephant population. His remarks came on World Elephant Day, observed every year on August 12 to raise awareness about elephant conservation and the challenges faced by the species.
PM Modi highlights elephant conservation
PM Modi emphasised the importance of protecting elephants and their natural habitats while acknowledging the efforts being made towards wildlife conservation in India. Asian elephants are classified as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, making conservation efforts crucial for their long-term survival. He noted that India has 33 Elephant Reserves that provide safe habitats and support long-term conservation.
Sharing glimpses of elephants on X, PM says, "On World Elephant Day, we celebrate the majestic elephant which has remained an integral part of India’s ecological heritage. It is gladdening that India is home to over 60% of the world’s wild Asian elephants."
He further said, "Our nation has 33 Elephant Reserves, which provide habitats for elephants and strengthen our efforts towards their long-term conservation. We are also proud of all forest personnel, scientists, veterinarians, mahouts and the local communities who are integral to all such efforts."
India’s role in elephant conservation
India has one of the largest remaining populations of wild Asian elephants. The animals are found across several states, particularly in the forests and landscapes of southern, northeastern and eastern India.
The country launched Project Elephant in 1992 to protect elephants, conserve their habitats and address issues such as human-elephant conflict. The initiative also focuses on maintaining elephant corridors, which allow herds to move between fragmented forest areas in search of food and water.
According to official estimates, India has more than 29,000 wild elephants, making the protection of their habitats an important part of the country’s broader wildlife conservation efforts.
Extinct elephant species and relatives
World Elephant Day was established in 2012 to draw global attention to the threats faced by elephants, including habitat loss, poaching, illegal wildlife trade and human-wildlife conflict. Numerous elephant species and close relatives in the order Proboscidea have gone extinct, including the Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), the giant straight-tusked Palaeoloxodon namadicus, the dwarf elephant Palaeoloxodon falconeri, and the lower-tusked Deinotherium. These animals varied from tiny island dwellers to the largest land mammals in Earth's history.
Today, only three elephant species survive, including the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. All these species of elephant come in the category of Proboscidea. It is a scientific group of plant-eating mammals. It includes all living elephants and their extinct relatives like mammoths and mastodons. These animals have a long nose called a trunk and teeth that grow into tusks.
