Terms related to Elephants in India
#GS-03 Biodiversity Conservation
For Prelims
Asian Elephant
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
- IUCN Red List of threatened species:
- Major Threats: Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.
- African elephants : Vulnerable
- Asian elephants :
Kumki
- Kumki or Koomkie is a term used in India (especially south India) for captive Asian elephants that are trained to be used in operations to trap wild elephants.
- They are also sometimes used to rescue or to provide medical treatment to an injured or trapped wild elephant.
PT-7
- PT-7 or Palakkad Tusker-7 is the codename of a rouge elephant which has been terrorising residents of Dhoni and neighbouring areas in Palakkad, Kerala for the last two years.
Tusker
- A Tusker is an animal with well developed tusks. The word is usually used to denote an adult male elephant.
Initiatives for Protection of Elephants:
Project Elephant:
- It was launched by the Government of India in 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors.
Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG):
- AsESG is an integral part of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the IUCN.
- Its aim is to promote the long-term conservation of Asia’s elephants and wherever possible, the recovery of their populations to viable levels.
Gaj Yatra:
- It is a nationwide awareness campaign led by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to celebrate elephants and highlight the necessity of securing elephant corridors.
Monitoring the Killing of Elephants (MIKE):
- The Monitoring the Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme was launched in 2003.
- It is an international collaboration that tracks trends in information related to the illegal killing of elephants from across Africa and Asia, in order to monitor effectiveness of field conservation efforts.
Source “Stage set for capture of PT-7 in Kerala; darting team to begin operation today”
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