Elephant corridor is a linear path aiding elephant movement between habitats.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), coordinating with the State Forest Departments, has ground-validated 150 elephant corridors across 15 elephant range states.
Right to Passage of the Animals
The Supreme Court of India has affirmed the right of passage of the animals by upholding the Madras High Courtjudgement.
Madras HC, while upholding the validity of the TN government’s notification declaring an ‘Elephant Corridor’ in the Sigur Plateau of Nilgiris District, said that the government can notify elephant corridors under ‘Project Elephant’ and Article 51 A(g) of the Constitution.
Article 51 A(g):To protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.
Benefits of Elephant Corridors
Genetic diversity: It helps elephants to intermingle and breed with elephants outside their gene pool.
Reduces human-animal conflict
Elephant Reserves
There are 33 Elephant Reserves (ER) spread over 10 elephant landscapes in 14 states.
These ER overlap with Tiger Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Reserved Forests protected under the WildLife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and other local State Acts.
Elephant Reserves
Benefits of Elephant Reserves
Maintaining ecosystem health
Habitat protection
Combating poaching
Reduces human-animal conflict
Why Elephant Reserves and Corridors Do Little Good for Conservation?
Elephant reserves and elephant corridors are essentially administrative classifications.
They don’t promise greater protection of elephant habitats because they are not recognised by law.
According to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA 1972), a ‘protected area’ can be one of a ‘national park’, a ‘wildlife sanctuary’, a ‘conservation reserve’ or a ‘community reserve’.
The prohibited activities in protected areas, including mining, oil and gas drilling, dams, etc., are permissible in an elephant reserve.
As a result, governments can divert elephant reserves and corridors for various projects.
Asian Elephant
Elephants are the largest terrestrial mammals. They are keystone species.
They are matriarchal, meaning they live in female-led groups.
The elephant’s gestation period is 18 to 22 months, and the calf is nursed for 2 to 4 years.
The lifespan of elephants is 60-70 years in the wild.
There are three species of elephants: African Forest Elephant (CR), African Savanna Elephant (EN), and Asian Elephant (EN).
There are three subspecies of Asian elephant: Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan.