World's 1st Asian Elephant Survival Centre to come up near Bhubaneswar: CM Majhi

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday inaugurated an International Workshop on Best Practices in Human-Elephant Coexistence here and announced that the world's first Centre for Species Survival: Asian Elephant will be set up at Godibari, near Chandaka Wildlife Division.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 21 AUGUST:

The centre, to be established in collaboration with the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Wildlife Trust of India, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, will serve as a global hub for research, policy, and conservation practices. It will focus on advancing science, shaping policy, and driving community action across South and Southeast Asia for elephant conservation.

"Odisha's vision is to create a model where elephants roam freely, forests remain healthy, and communities coexist in peace with wildlife," the Chief Minister said, adding, "We are building pathways for coexistence, not just managing conflict. This initiative will inspire the world."

Highlighting the challenges of habitat loss due to agriculture expansion and infrastructure growth, Majhi expressed concern over rising human-elephant conflicts. He outlined Odisha's strategies, including mapping elephant corridors, restoring degraded forests, empowering local protection groups through Gaja Saathi and Vana Surakshya Samitis, strengthening anti-poaching squads, and deploying GPS collars, drones, and AI-enabled cameras for monitoring elephant movement.