Elephant declared India’s Heritage Animal

By K K Aiyaamma

The Govt of India has declared the elephant as India’s national heritage animal, by doing so establishing the elephants importance in India over the centuries.

The minister for environment, Mr.Jairam Ramesh had stated that;

The elephants have been a part of Indian culture since ages and there was a need to accord the status to the animal.

Coorg and many other places has been reeling under Man-Elephant conflict since large tracts of forest land have been encroached or cultivated or being utilized for development projects like Hydel Power.

The Elephant Task Force constituted by the government has said that the special status will help the elephant be better protected.

It can be cruel irony that as the news about the status came in and rejoiced conservationists, an elephant fell into the pond in a cardamon estate in Kerala and died.