World Elephant Day

World Elephant Day History

World Elephant Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness about the plight of elephants and to promote their conservation. The day was established in 2011 by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark.

India plays an important role in World Elephant Day as it is home to the largest population of Asian elephants in the world. Elephants have been revered in Indian culture for centuries and are deeply ingrained in the country’s customs and traditions. However, India’s elephants are facing numerous challenges, such as habitat loss, poaching, and human-elephant conflict.

On World Elephant Day in India, various events and campaigns are organized to draw attention to the issues faced by elephants and to promote their protection. These may include seminars, awareness campaigns, and conservation efforts in elephant habitats. The efforts are aimed at encouraging people to value and conserve elephants, and to work towards ensuring their survival for future generations. World Elephant Day is observed annually on August 12th.

World Elephant Day facts

• Elephants have highly sensitive skin and orifices, which they protect from the harsh sun, biting bugs, and dirt by giving themselves dust baths.
• Elephants have the longest gestation period of any terrestrial animal, with a pregnancy lasting approximately 22 months.
• Elephants have a unique and complex system of communication that includes seismic signals, sounds outside of the human hearing range, visual signaling, touch, and chemical signals.
• Elephants hold a significant place in Indian mythology and religion. In Hinduism, the elephant-headed god Ganesha is one of the most revered deities, symbolizing wisdom and removal of obstacles.
• Elephants have been used in Indian warfare historically. During ancient and medieval times, they played an essential role in battle strategies and could significantly turn the tide in a war.

In the News and Trending in India for World Elephant Day

Top things to do in India for World Elephant Day

• Visit your local zoo. See animals from different regions and be sure to catch the elephants.
• View upcoming events. World Elephant Day hosts events to raise awareness about elephants and spread more information about them. Find events near you or register for a virtual one.
• Take a jeep safari or an elephant ride in popular national parks like Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand), Bandipur National Park (Karnataka), and Periyar National Park (Kerala). These parks are home to large populations of Asian Elephants.
• Visit museums and wildlife research institutes like the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, to learn more about elephant conservation efforts and ongoing research.