World Elephant Day: Number of elephant reserves have risen in last eight years, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi: On the occasion of World Elephant Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the commitment to protect the elephant, and said that India houses about 60 per cent of all Asian elephants. He also added that the number of elephant reserves has risen in the last eight years, and praised all those involved in protecting elephants.

"On #WorldElephantDay, reiterating our commitment to protect the elephant. You would be happy to know that India houses about 60 per cent of all Asian elephants. The number of elephant reserves has risen in the last 8 years. I also laud all those involved in protecting elephants," said PM Modi.

He added, "The successes in elephant conservation must be viewed in context of the larger efforts underway in India to minimise human-animal conflict, and integrating local communities and their traditional wisdom in furthering environmental consciousness."

On 12 August, 2012, World Elephant Day was co-founded by Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand, an initiative of HM Queen Sirikit.

World Elephant Day is celebrated on 12 August every year to raise awareness about the plight of elephants all over the world. This day tries to highlight why these animals should be protected and what laws and measures can be enacted to ensure their survival.

World Elephant Day plays a crucial role in raising awareness about the problems faced by these gentle giants all around the globe. These animals face the threats of poaching, illegal wildlife trade, habitat destruction and more.

It is important to work towards creating a sustainable and safe environment for these creatures where they can thrive.

There are many risks that elephants face, from illegal ivory trading to increased human-animal conflict. Their habitats are also threatened by human activities.

According to the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), there are around 4.15 lakh African elephants left in the wild.

There has been a 50 per cent decline in the population of Asian elephants in the last 75 years. Now, there are only 20,000 -40,000 Asian elephants left in the wild.

With input from agencies

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