Help Save Elephants in India

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

Have you ever watched Disney’s The Jungle Book? If so, you might recall the poignant scene where Bagheera and Mowgli encounter a herd of elephants. Bagheera instructs Mowgli to bow in respect, saying, “The elephants created this jungle. Where they made furrows with their tusks, the rivers ran. Where they blew with their trunks, the leaves fell. They made all that belongs—the mountains, the trees, the birds in the trees. But they did not make you, that is why you must go.”

Bagheera's words underscore a profound truth: elephants are the architects of our forests. These majestic and iconic creatures are not only beautiful but are vital to shaping and preserving the ecosystems on which countless species, including humans, rely.

Despite their critical ecological role, elephants face a devastating threat from poaching, driven by the lucrative ivory trade. This senseless slaughter is not only tragic but also a severe blow to conservation efforts. How can we justify the brutal killing of these endangered animals, whose populations are already in decline, simply for the profit of a few?

The greed of poachers and their networks propels this illicit trade, where ivory's high market value outweighs the lives of these magnificent creatures. In a particularly tragic and ironic incident, the Forest Department, with the assistance of WTI, seized an idol of the Hindu elephant god Ganesha—crafted from the very ivory obtained by killing elephants.

In our previous report, "Elephant Woes", we detailed a significant operation where the Kerala Forest Department, supported by WTI, seized a staggering 487 kilograms of ivory. This pivotal incident led to the development of the Hostile Activity Watch Kernel (HAWK)—a sophisticated, technology-driven solution designed to combat and dismantle these poaching syndicates.

HAWK represents a significant advancement in wildlife protection. As poaching networks have evolved, so too must our strategies to combat them. HAWK leverages cutting-edge technology to track, apprehend, and dismantle these criminal operations. Pioneered by WTI and institutionalized by the Kerala and Karnataka Forest Departments, HAWK is a cloud-based information management system that organizes and analyzes interlinked databases of wildlife crimes, criminals, and mortality. This system provides real-time intelligence, streamlines documentation, and enhances the capacity of forest departments to prevent wildlife crimes and curb illegal wildlife trade.

Thanks to the unwavering support of our donors, WTI is at the forefront of combating illegal wildlife trade. Your contributions have enabled us to develop and implement innovative solutions like HAWK, which are vital in the fight to protect endangered species and preserve our natural heritage. Together, we are making a significant impact—disrupting poaching networks, safeguarding vulnerable wildlife, and ensuring that future generations inherit a world where majestic creatures like elephants can thrive in their natural habitats. We are deeply grateful for your partnership in this crucial mission. Your generosity is not just supporting conservation; it is actively saving lives and sustaining the balance of our ecosystems. Thank you for standing with us in this fight.

Video on HAWK