World Elephant Day: First elephant corridor identified in Bihar

Patna: The scenic forest stretch of Jamui-Jhajha-Chakayi has been identified as the first elephant corridor in Bihar. The Bihar elephant corridor was mentioned in a report ‘Elephant Corridors of India, 2023’ prepared by Centre’s Project Elephant and released by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav in Bhubaneswar on Saturday as part of the World Elephant Day celebrations.

“Elephant movement is between Garhi beat of Jamui range, Charkapatthar and Batia beats of Jhajha range and Madhwa sub-beat of Chakayi range. The indicative length of the corridor is 46 km and width is 30-50 meter. The status of the movement of elephants is occasional and the total number of elephants using this corridor is nine. Habitat management enrichment along the corridor is required,” the report said.

Reacting to the identification of the stretch, Bihar additional principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden P K Gupta said, “It’s a matter of great satisfaction that the stretch has been identified as first elephant corridor for wild jumbos in Bihar. We will soon chalk out a comprehensive action plan for conservation of elephants and mitigation of human-elephant conflict in the corridor”.

He told PTI that the department of environment, forest and climate change of the Bihar government will also have to coordinate with Project elephant, a centrally sponsored scheme launched in February 1992, for the protection and conservation of jumbos in the country.

”The scheme helps and assists in the management and protection of elephants to the states having free-ranging populations of wild elephants, in order to ensure the survival of elephant population in the wild and protection of their habitat and elephant corridor,” Gupta said.

Echoing a similar view, the district forest officer of Araria, Megha Yadav, who attended the 19th Steering Committee meeting of Project Elephant in Bhubaneswar on Saturday as the representative of the chief wildlife warden of Bihar, told PTI over phone that with the identification of the first corridor for elephants in Bihar, there is need to develop and promote scientific and planned management strategies for the conservation of elephants in the state.

”Securing the elephant corridors would require awareness generation and sensitizing the local population to promote voluntary relocation outside the conflict zones,” she added.