Elephants, the environment, and Indian policy

[timmy]

I have been saving up a few articles on elephants that someone might find interesting, and today came across another that was heartening to read. Here they are, with a brief explanation:

How India is building Asia's largest secure forest network

In Karnataka, they are working to link various wild areas so that animals (including elephants) will be able to migrate over a wider area. I realize that some may find this effort to be too little to late, or have other complaints about the policy, but I was glad to see that something was being done, at least, to try to curb the encroachment of humans on wildlife habitat.

then:

Ecologists learn lessons from the 'ghosts of megafauna'

This article conveys part of the impact that the elimination of pachyderms -- large herbivores -- like elephants, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus can have, and why. Many times, people do not recognize how vital it is for nutrients to be spread over an area. For instance, the ecosystem of the South Atlantic and even South America is dependent, in part, on nutrients that were formed millennia ago in the region we call the Sahara Desert today. Winds blow these nutrients across the sea, as far as another continent, and they help form the basic part of the food chain for those ecosystems.

The message: the loss of wildlife like elephants can have a terrible impact on ecosystems.

then:

Elephant society 'still disrupted decades after cull'

The sophistication of elephant society is just now beginning to be appreciated. The complex interactions can be destroyed by removing elder herd members, especially alpha females, who provide herd leadership. This sophistication is also shown in this article:

How elephants react to human voices

and

Human gestures 'understood by elephants'

We need to be a whole lot smarter about this conservation thing. In the long run, the money and effort spent will make this a better world for everyone of all social strata, I think.

[brihacharan]

> Great post timmy
> Plenty of food for thought...
> BTW - Elephant's relationship with humans is to be seen to be believed...
> Here's a true story....
A male elephant named 'Kesavan' who lived a very long life entered the precincts of the famous Guruvayoor Temple in Kerala as an youngster...
He was trained to carry the Presiding Deity's Idol on its back during religious processions - which he did for over 30+ years...
Finally age & infirmity took toll and it became an exhausting task for him to carry the idol during long processions...
One day at the crack of dawn Kesavan realized his time has come - whereupon he got up struggling and walked all the way from his enclosure to the alter...
Seeing him & his predicament the temple's chief priest hurried towards him & anointed him with the sacred sandalwood paste...
Kesavan raised his trunk in obeisance to the deity & let out a trumpeting sound (as if to say goodbye to the lord) & collapsed at the alter while his last breath eased out of him...
The entire township of Guruvayoor wept as Kesavan was given a funeral befitting a great soul...Later the temple authorities erected a statue & installed it in their premises.

> Here are a few pictures of 'Kesavan' who was bestowed with the title 'Gajarajan Kesavan'
1. Kesavan the youngster on his induction to the Temple


2. Kesavan carrying the idol of the presiding deity of the Guruvayur temple during a procession


3. Kesavan's statue in the temple premises


Briha

[vrohan59]

Every time in Meghalaya someone tries to declare an area an elephant sanctuary, our illiterate people go all out opposing the idea!

[prashantsingh]

While the Tiger is the King of the Indian jungle.
The elephant is called the Lord of the Indian Jungle.

Lovely post Timmy. Will go through those articles in detail later.

[nevil]

Great post Timmy and Briha's story is really touching. I myself love watching elephants in the wild and have had some great experiences in Corbett and Rajaji National Park.

[Vassili Zaitsev]

In the base the situation and treatment towards elephants are rather different. I stay in Trivandrum and witnessed the torture towards these gentle giants. During temple festival they will arrange Elephants, for few IT companies they have their own pet elephants to welcome the firangi clients and VPs n Directors. Most of these animals are malnourished and very weak and one can count their ribs. The temple elephants are also used to large distance walk during the festivals and with thousands of people surrounding them with loud noise and trumpets..

Read this news link below and this is truth in the ground zero..
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 963052.cms