Football tourney launched to promote conservation of elephants

Guwahati: A three-day soccer tournament is currently underway in the state with its aim being to highlight the plight of the Asian elephant and the need for their conservation with special emphasis on the Ripu-Chirang Elephant Reserve. The tournament, which began on Tuesday at Kochugaon in Kokrajhar district, has been organised by the International Fund for Animal Welfare-Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) in association with the Assam Forest Department and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).[caption id=“attachment_1386721” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Protecting elephants. AFP[/caption] The event is part of an attempt to strengthen the links between the forest department, local communities, NGOs and the media and other stakeholders and individuals who are working to save the elephants of Ripu-Chirang Elephant Reserve. Teams from the different fringe villages of Manas National Park, including a team representing the wildlife reserve itself, members of the Wildlife Division of Kokrajhar and media personnel are participating in the event. A signature campaign for promoting wildlife conservation in the region has also been organised as part of the ongoing initiative. “Elephants are a very significant species that play an important role in the ecosystem. It is our responsibility to save them,” said BTC executive member, Sabharam Basumatary. “Poaching along with degradation of habitat and other anthropogenic pressures has left these pachyderms more vulnerable than before to extinction and it becomes vital to involve all communities in their protection,” said WTI regional head, Bhaskar Choudhury. There are approximately 25,000 elephants in the country now with an estimated 5,600 of them in Assam. PTI