Elephants are getting bigger
-By Vivek Menon, Executive Director, WTI

File photo: a herd of Asian elephants

The elephant has never been this big.

For the first time, we were able to bring together African and Asian countries for exclusive discussions on elephant conservation and welfare, at the Elephant-8 Ministerial Meet held in New Delhi yesterday. It was hosted by the MoEF, NTCA, WII and WTI.

The E-8 countries - Botswana, Republic of Congo, Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India – represented two-third of the world’s elephants.

Every country has its own opinion on its natural resources and ways to conserve them. The E-8 was not meant to be a regular conference to extend discussions on things that the countries don’t agree on, but to discuss things that we do. Contradictory opinions apart, one thing was clear at the Meet: each had the best interest for their elephants and their people in mind.  

Azzedine, IFAW’s Executive Vice-President was by my side at the Meet, representing IFAW. We have fought together against some of the elephant range countries in CITES CoPs. But this time it was different. It was most amusing to hear a delegate with whose country IFAW has been at loggerheads with, jokingly threaten Azzedine. Yet both Azzedine and the delegate came out to support each other in issues that they were agreeable to.  

Keeping all the differences away, the eight countries unanimously agreed on common recommendations on knowledge-sharing, promoting cooperation, among others, for a better world for elephants and people. 

This will only get bigger.

Like tiger conservation, which has seen participation and platforms for unity of all tiger range states as well as non-tiger range states, this initiative will now lead to a global movement in elephant conservation.

A larger confluence is being planned for 2013, where all of the 50 elephant range states of the world will congregate in India to extend this cooperation further, and to generate concern, focus as well as participation of the rest of the world in saving these majestic pachyderms.

For the largest land mammal in the world, this is a tribute worthy its size, its appeal and its needs.

Photo : WTI

More on 'Notes from Vivek Menon':
A forest god that was
A Russian roar
A cat in a box
Monkeying in Upper Assam
Gujjar Diwali
Of canopies, corridors and catchments
A rainbow dream
Time to count tigers once again
Goats on the Border
Rescue in the new year
On Safer Shores