India launches survival centre for Asiatic elephants in Odisha

India has announced the creation of a dedicated survival centre for the endangered Asiatic elephant in Odisha, as reported by China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.

The facility, to be located near the Chandaka wildlife division in Bhubaneswar, will serve as a regional hub for research, conservation strategies and policy development across South and Southeast Asia.

Odisha’s chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has called for international cooperation to secure the species’ future, stressing that elephants are deeply woven into the region’s culture, spirituality, and history. He outlined measures including mapping migration corridors, restoring degraded forests, strengthening anti-poaching patrols, and deploying advanced tools such as GPS collars, drones, and AI-based cameras to track elephant movements.

The planned centre will not only focus on local conservation but also act as a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices across Asia. Its mission is to develop sustainable models of coexistence, ensuring both community well-being and elephant protection.

The announcement follows a workshop in Bhubaneswar that brought together conservationists, researchers and policymakers to design coordinated strategies. Delegates emphasised that protecting elephants requires engaging communities at the heart of conservation, recognising that their future survival is closely tied to the people living alongside them.

Photo: Byrdyak/ iStock