Protecting Asian Elephants in Their Homeland
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission and the Wildlife Trust of India to establish a new Center for Species Survival (CSS) in India, focused on Asian elephants.
CSS: Asian Elephant is a unique endeavor! The Center will be the world's first CSS conservation hub exclusively dedicated to a single species and uniquely located within the heart of the species' native range.
Asian elephants face numerous threats across their range across 13 countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. To counter these challenges, CSS: Asian Elephant partners are building on their global connections and collaborating with representatives from each of these countries to make CSS: Asian Elephant successful.
What Will CSS: Asian Elephant Do?
- They'll serve as a resource hub. CSS: Asian Elephant will facilitate the exchange of scientific knowledge and conservation solutions among stakeholders in range countries.
- They'll conduct in-country capacity-building efforts on priority topics, ranging from census techniques to human-elephant coexistence solutions.
- They'll provide education and community engagement opportunities. CSS: Asian Elephant will serve as a model for interpretive experiences, offering educational opportunities for tourists, local communities, students, and experts.
- They'll hold workshops and trainings. The CSS will host workshops and training programs, such as capacity building workshops and international collaborative elephant conservation planning sessions.
- They'll build an emergency response fund. The partnership aims to establish a grant fund for emergency human-elephant conflict mitigation across the range countries.
How You Can Help
“The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has a long history of supporting Asian elephant conservation. However, understanding the urgent needs of this iconic and imperiled species, we felt it was vital to significantly increase our conservation commitment and develop an innovative approach to saving this species from extinction. That is why we have committed support for the next 5 years to establish this program,” said Tom Schmid, President and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
Join our efforts by donating to the Columbus Zoo Fund!
