By Monica Verma | Officer in Charge
At Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), we hold a deep love for elephants and a firm commitment to their conservation. We understand their vital role in our ecosystems, the formidable challenges they face, and the urgent actions needed to secure their survival.
Through our flagship ‘Right of Passage’ project, we have spearheaded transformative, nationwide efforts to protect and restore key elephant habitats and migration corridors. Working hand-in-hand with local communities, we mitigate human-elephant conflict to foster coexistence and safeguard both lives and livelihoods. Alongside these efforts, we combat the poaching crisis and work tirelessly to dismantle the illegal ivory trade. Our team also rescues and rehabilitates injured or orphaned elephants, ensuring they are returned to the wild—their rightful home. For over 25 years, conserving elephants has been more than a mission; it has been our unwavering promise.
As the adage goes, “Conservation without funds is merely a conversation.” Your generous support has turned this promise into impactful action, and we are profoundly grateful for your steady commitment to India’s wildlife.
Today, we are thrilled to celebrate a ground-breaking achievement: the successful notification of nearly 3,000 acres of critical elephant habitat in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya. This region is home to an estimated population of 800 to 1,000 elephants and forms a crucial link in their survival.
The Garo Hills are unique in their forest management system, with the majority of land owned by local communities and private individuals. Governed by the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, tribal communities here have significant autonomy to plan and manage their regions, including forests, through the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). Remarkably, over 90% of the land in the Garo Hills falls under GHADC’s jurisdiction.
Since 2005, WTI has partnered with these communities to conserve fragmented habitats by facilitating the declaration of Village Reserve Forests (VRFs)—community-owned lands set aside exclusively for conservation. By December 2024, nearly 12,400 acres of critical elephant habitat had already been secured as VRFs and restored. With the recent addition of 3,000 acres, this marks a monumental step forward, bringing us closer to securing the future of elephants in this region.
This milestone is not just a victory for elephants; it’s a testament to the power of collaboration, perseverance, and the solid support of donors like you. Together, we are shaping a future where humans and wildlife thrive in harmony.
While our large-scale, landscape-level conservation efforts are pivotal, we never overlook individual elephants in distress. Every elephant matters and deserves our care and protection.
Here are two recent cases where WTI, in collaboration with the forest department, provided life-saving veterinary care to distressed elephants, ensuring their safe return to the wild.
Case 1:
A young female elephant, estimated to be 6-10 years old, was found near a village adjacent to the Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam. She appeared severely weak and, to our dismay, had an iron spike embedded in her forehead—a cruel act likely inflicted by miscreants who targeted the lone, vulnerable elephant.
The WTI team and forest department responded promptly, successfully removing the spike and treating an old wound along with abscesses on her body. Her condition was closely monitored, and oral medications, including multivitamins and minerals, were administered over several days. Once her health improved, she was safely escorted back to the Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary.
Case 2:
In another case from Assam, an adult female elephant with a suspected eye injury had been sighted near villages on the outskirts of Tezpur town for several months. In December, she damaged two houses, escalating tensions with local residents.
Responding swiftly to the conflict, the WTI veterinarian and forest department rescued the elephant. She was successfully treated for her eye injury and later released safely into the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Together, these stories reflect the heart of Wildlife Trust of India's mission: combining large-scale conservation initiatives with individual interventions to secure a future for India’s elephants. Whether through protecting vast habitats or responding to the needs of a single elephant in distress, we remain steadfast in our promise to safeguard these magnificent creatures. None of this would be possible without your support, which empowers us to continue this critical work. Thank you for standing with us to ensure that elephants—and the ecosystems they sustain—continue to thrive for generations to come.
Warm regards,
Team WTI
By Monica Verma | Officer in Charge
By Monica Verma | Officer in Charge
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