The national celebration of World Elephant Day 2025 will be held in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on August 12. The event is being organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in association with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
The event will be inaugurated by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and will bring together foresters, policymakers, wildlife experts, and civil society representatives to discuss elephant conservation and ways to address human-elephant conflict.
India is home to nearly 60% of the world’s wild elephant population, with 33 Elephant Reserves and 150 identified Elephant Corridors, as per the 2023 Report on Elephant Corridors in India. Recognised as the National Heritage Animal, elephants hold deep cultural and traditional importance in the country.
As part of the celebrations, a workshop on Human-Elephant Conflict will be organised in Coimbatore, providing a platform for elephant range states to share experiences, challenges, and mitigation measures. The discussions will focus on habitat management, corridor maintenance, awareness campaigns, and capacity building in high-conflict areas.
The initiative is part of Project Elephant, which promotes community participation and scientific methods to ensure safe coexistence between humans and elephants.
A nationwide awareness programme will also be launched, involving about 12 lakh school children from 5,000 schools to spread the message of elephant conservation.