3rd Elephant Conservation Dialogue emphasises habitat protection

Bangladesh-India 3rd elephant conservation dialogue held in Dhaka Thursday emphasized on collaborative efforts to protect the endangered mammals.
At the inaugural session of the day-long dialogue delegates said the rapid depletion of elephant habitats must be checked at any cost to conserve the rich and diverse ecosystem of the two South Asian countries.
The delegates from the two countries exchanged data relating to elephant conservation and maps of corridors used by elephants in the bordering districts of Bangladesh and India.
The previous dialogues were held in Kolkata in 2016 and in Shillong in 2017.
Speaking as the chief guest environment, forest and climate change ministry secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury identified food shortage, loss of habitats and killing of elephants as threats to shrinking population of Asian elephants.
Temporary Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazaar blocked almost all the ancient trails of wild elephants, he said.
Bangladesh-Indian collaborative efforts were needed to protect elephants as they follow no boundaries, said Indian environment, forest and climate change ministry additional director general of forests (wildlife) Manmohan Singh Negi.

Environment, forest and climate change ministry additional secretary Billal Hossain said that with support from IUCN, the forest department of Bangladesh formed 26 elephant response teams to check human-elephant conflicts and implement plantation projects to provide fodder for elephants.
Chairing the inaugural session at the Forest Department’s Haimanti Auditorium at Agargaon chief conservator of forests Mohammed Shafiul Alam Chowdhury said fragmentation of elephant habitats must be stopped using multifaceted approaches.

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