World Elephant day
Owing to World Elephant day on August 12th 2024 , an awareness program was organized at Aliyar check post and about 150 tourists and public were sensitized about the ecological significance of elephant and human-wildlife conflict management. Also, awareness programs were conducted to 80 students of Government Higher Secondary School at Angalakuruchi and educational materials were distributed.
World Elephant day was celebrated in coordination with ecoclub of Kongunadu College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. A guest lecture was organized with the theme ‘Conservation of Elephants’. Dr. S. Priyanka, Senior Scientist cum Research coordinator, Project Nilgiri Tahr and Dr. G. Sivasubramanian, Assistant Professor and Head (i/c), Department of Wildlife Biology, Kongunadu Arts and Science College served as the resource person for the event. The events involved the active participation of 172 students and 5 eco-club members and professors. The keynote of the session included healthy environment for elephants, status and distribution of elephants, Nilgiri Tahr and its habitats distribution, conservation importance of Elephant and Nilgiri Tahr, wildlife crime and control, corridor management for elephant conservation and human-animal conflict etc. Students from various discipline gained knowledge about the importance of conservation of elephants and Nilgiri Tahr.
Additionally, a presentation on conservation of Keystone species was also delivered to 53 college students of Wildlife Biology Department, Government college, Ooty. The session was organised by Dr. Ramakrishnan, Professor and Head, Department of Wildlife biology, Mr. K. Manikandan and Mr. N. Rajesh Kumar, Senior Research Fellow of Project Nilgiri Tahr.