At the start of the twentieth century, greater than 100,000 Asian elephants had been dwelling within the wild. Now, it’s estimated that simply 52,000 stay. Among the many causes for his or her decline — along with poaching and human-elephant battle — is the increase of newly constructed roads and railways, which result in collisions, habitat loss and fragmentation and the blocking of migration routes.
To assist with this disaster, a world crew of specialists has created the primary handbook on the best way to defend endangered Asian elephants from this widespread hazard.
“Elephants want to maneuver to outlive — to search out meals, water, and mates. In some circumstances, new roads and railways are being constructed proper throughout historic Asian elephant migration routes,” stated Rob Ament, handbook co-author, Asian Elephant Transport Working Group (AsETWG) co-chair and senior conservationist with the Middle for Massive Panorama Conservation (CLLC), in a press launch from AsETWG.
Printed by AsETWG, the “Handbook to Mitigate the Impacts of Roads and Railways on Asian Elephants,” was a collaboration between the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group and the Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asian Elephant Specialist Group, World Wildlife Fund stated.
In line with the press launch, authors of the handbook included 9 elephant and transport ecology specialists from AsETWG, together with two employees members from CLLC.
The objective is to place the useful resource into the fingers of presidency officers, transportation planners, engineers, policymakers, financiers and others who would discover it helpful within the 13 nations the place wild Asian elephants nonetheless roam.
Ament stated that, as a result of fast charge at which linear infrastructure is being developed in Asia, Asian elephants will change into more and more impacted by roads and railways. This makes it all of the extra important to keep away from and mitigate these impacts with a view to defend the endangered species.
“This publication combines many years of expertise from the contributors and is a primary instance of collaboration throughout sectors and political boundaries to sort out a severe conservation challenge,” stated co-author of the handbook Melissa Butynski, AsETWG coordinator and a world connectivity challenge specialist with CLLC, within the press launch.
The IUCN Purple Checklist of Threatened Species lists Asian elephants as “endangered,” with more and more remoted populations in Indonesia, Cambodia, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Nepal.
“Individuals dwelling and dealing in nations with Asian elephants see the very actual threats from linear infrastructure this unimaginable species faces. There’s a sense of urgency to behave earlier than it’s too late,” Butynski stated.
The authors of the handbook plan to introduce its suggestions within the nations the place Asian elephants nonetheless reside. They may assist facilitate options by means of in-person workshops and webinars for conservationists, researchers, authorities officers and others with the will to guard these majestic and delicate creatures.
“I hope these pointers discover extensive utilization throughout the elephant vary and that it’s tailored and translated into native languages, in order that its use throughout all 13 nations that also have the Asian elephant is inspired,” wrote Vivek Menon, creator of the foreword to the handbook, Wildlife Belief of India co-founder and chair of the IUCN Species Survival Fee Asian Elephant Specialist Group, within the press launch.
This article by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes was first printed by EcoWatch on 19 March 2024. Lead Picture: Wild Asian elephants crossing a major street close to Habarana, Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. Geography Pictures / Common Photos Group through Getty Photos.
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