By Sangita Iyer | Project Leader
We have now build at least three water bodies in the Pallahara - Telkoi region of Odisha, in order to provide elephants and other wildlife enough water bodies inside the forest to survive the blistering heat. VFAES has partnered with Paribartan and employed the local people to create these water bodies! It’s a win-win for both elephants and people.
We are also thrilled to report that we’ve created waterholes at the trijunction of Balasore, Baripada, and Hardgarh in Odisha that serves as a critical habitat for elephants. The site is frequented by a herd of elephants, indicating that it holds significance for these majestic creatures. Even during the construction activities, the elephants continued to visit the area, leaving behind their footprints.
Interestingly, they also utilize the nearby water body at night, suggesting that it plays an important role in meeting their hydration needs. This trijunction likely boasts diverse ecological features, including a wide variety of vegetation and topography, contributing to the rich biodiversity and abundance of resources, making it an attractive habitat for elephants.
As the harsh summer envelops vast regions of India, with temperatures soaring up to 45 degrees celsius or 113 fahrenheit, water sources tend to dry up, pushing elephants out of the forests and into the villages, driving human elephant conflict, inevitably resulting in tragedies. By providing enough food and water resources inside the forests, elephants will hopefully remain inside the forests
More than 80% of elephant habitats have been lost to reckless development to sustain humans - with the population in India at 1.41 BILLION as of this year, surpassing China, and earning the the top spot for an overcrowded country. According to one report around 245 elephants have been killed in the past 3 years, that's 82 elephants per year being killed in the central state of Odisha alone! The demise of this species will have a cascading effect and lead to the collapse of forest ecosystems.
We still have a few more waterholes to be created, and by mid-July/ early August we will also begin planting 20,000 saplings in these areas. I can't wait to share with you photos of the planting the saplings inside the forests. VFAES partnered with Paribartan India to implement this critical project.
On behalf of our entier Board of Directors, Thank You from the bottom of my heart for your ongoing support to help us provide basic survival needs to the endangered elephants of Odisha. We couldn't do this work without the funds. so please continue to donate. We've raised around $42,000 of the $60,000 for our first phase of this project. We still have close to $18,000 more to raise. And please be sure to share this report with your family/ friends and encourage them to help us save these majestic beings before its too late.
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