Clearing the path

Clearing the path

News:

1. Supreme Court has taken initiative to protect elephant corridor.

Important facts:

2. To restore ecology, Supreme Court has directed to close 27 resorts operating in elephant corridor in Nilgiri to allow hassle free movement to elephants.
3. Elephant movement is essential for survival and it also helps to regenerate forest on which other species are dependent.
4. Challenges impacting Elephant migratory Corridor

• Weak regulation of ecotourism
• Fragmentation of forest
• Structures like hotels and homes
• Human-Elephant conflict due to which Elephant looks for alternate path

5. Measurements Needs to be taken

• Expansion of Elephant migratory corridor is required by acquiring more land to provide free movement to Elephants.
• End Human-Elephant conflict by protecting elephant corridor.
• Initiate investigation against any illegal construction in forest area.
• Most importantly, providing legal status of protected park or sanctuaries to 40 % Elephant reserves which are vulnerable and
• Illegal structure should be removed immediately.

6. Wildlife Trust of India and Elephant Project reports finding says:

• There are 101 elephant corridors and 70 % of them are being used on a regular basis.
• Report says, three-quarters of corridors are evenly divided between southern, central and north-eastern region. Rest are in north-west Bengal and other region.
• Some passages are very narrow of 100 meters wide.
• Estimation of 6500 elephants just in Brahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats.