2 weeks ago
Dia Mirza urges protection of elephant corridors, right of passage
Elephants are some of the greatest travelers in the animal world.
For thousands of years, they have followed special paths across rivers, grasslands, farms and forests to find food and water.
These paths are called elephant corridors.
A famous actress and nature advocate named Dia Mirza asked the Indian government to protect these corridors.
She said elephants need a 'right of passage' to move safely between different habitats.
New roads, railways, mines and buildings are breaking these ancient paths into tiny pieces.
This pushes elephants into smaller spaces and causes problems between people and elephants.
Dia Mirza shared her message on World Elephant Day, celebrated every year on August 12.
She works with a group called the Wildlife Trust of India to help save these corridors.
She says governments, businesses and local communities all need to work together to help.
Dia Mirza urged the government to take stronger steps to protect elephant corridors and ensure the safe movement of elephants across their natural habitats.
On World Elephant Day (August 12), she said elephant conservation should not be limited to protecting forests and wildlife sanctuaries.
She highlighted that elephants travel across rivers, grasslands, farms and forests to find food and water, mate and raise their young.
She warned that expanding roads, railways, settlements and mines are fragmenting habitats, forcing elephants into smaller spaces and increasing conflict with people.
She called on governments, businesses, local communities and conservation organizations to secure connected landscapes, noting the Wildlife Trust of India's 'Right of Passage' initiative works to identify, secure and restore critical corridors.
- Who
- Dia Mirza, actress and environmental advocate, along with the Wildlife Trust of India
- What
- Urged the government to protect elephant corridors and ensure elephants' safe movement through connected landscapes, which she called their 'right of passage'
- Where
- India, across elephant habitats including rivers, grasslands, farms and forests
- When
- On World Elephant Day, celebrated annually on August 12
- Why
- Because expanding roads, railways, settlements and mines are fragmenting habitats, increasing human-elephant conflict and threatening elephants' long-term survival
Key facts
- Event
- World Elephant Day (observed annually on August 12)
- Advocate
- Dia Mirza, actress and environmental advocate
- Organization
- Wildlife Trust of India
- Initiative
- Right of Passage
- Stated Threats
- Expanding roads, railways, settlements, mines and fragmented habitats
- Call to Action
- Governments to integrate connectivity into land-use planning; businesses to build responsibly
- Animal Status
- The Asian Elephant is India's National Heritage Animal
Quotes
Dia Mirza
Indian actress and environmental advocate
““When we think about protecting elephants, we often picture dense forests and protected areas. But what if I told you that the future of elephants depends just as much on the landscapes beyond these forests?””
thehansindia.com











