Asian Elephant in Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species: Strengthening the Ecological Connectivity for Trans-boundary Conservation

Abstract

Long-distance migration across the large landscapes is an important ecological process in wild elephants, which enable them to search new feeding grounds and resources, altering the forest ecosystem and biodiversity, strengthening the gene flow among the populations and to sustain in a changing environment. However, in the recent past a long chain of the forest from where elephant used to perform such long-distance migrations has been fragmented and unsustainable land-use practices have disconnected most of the elephant corridor. Recently, India hosted the 13th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), wherein India’s proposal for inclusion of the Asian elephant in the Appendix I of the Convention was adopted. The inclusion of Asian elephants in Appendix I of the CMS would provide the species with the international conservation importance, trans-boundary cooperation for conservation of elephants and in providing legal protection to the migratory routes of the elephants across international boundaries. Besides, this would also facilitate in strengthening the gene base of the populations and in reducing the human–elephant conflict across the migratory route of the elephants.