Bhubaneswar: Odisha will be the home of the world’s first Center for Species Survival: Asian Elephant at Godibari near the Chandaka Wildlife Division.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the establishment of the center during an international workshop on human-elephant coexistence, while addressing the gathering on International Workshop on ‘Best Practices in Human-Elephant Co-existence’ at Mayfair Bhubaneswar on 21 August 2025.
This pioneering center is a collaborative effort between the Odisha government, the IUCN Species Survival Commission, the Wildlife Trust of India, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. It will act as a regional hub for research, policy, and community action to advance elephant conservation throughout South and Southeast Asia. The initiative aims to address the growing human-elephant conflict, which is primarily caused by shrinking elephant habitats due to agricultural and infrastructural expansion.
The workshop, which drew conservationists, researchers, and policymakers from around the world, emphasized the need for global collaboration to address the human-elephant conflict. Minister of Forest, Environment & Climate Change, Shri Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia, highlighted Odisha’s shift from a protection-centric approach to a more holistic philosophy of coexistence.
Additional Chief Secretary Home, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Satyabrat Sahu said that the Odisha’s government has implemented a comprehensive strategy to manage the human-elephant conflict. Key measures include:
- Habitat Restoration and Corridor Mapping: The state is actively restoring degraded forests and mapping elephant corridors to ensure elephants have space to roam freely.
- Community Engagement: Local protection groups such as Gaja Saathi and Vana Surakshya Samitis are being empowered to protect elephants and raise awareness within communities. Gaja Saathi volunteers, or “friends of elephants,” help track and drive away elephant herds from human settlements.
- Technological Integration: The state is using technology like GPS collars, drones, and AI cameras to track elephant movement, which helps in early warning and mitigation efforts.
- Anti-Poaching Measures: The government is strengthening anti-poaching squads to safeguard the elephant population.
These initiatives are part of Odisha’s broader vision to create a sustainable development model where humans and elephants can coexist peacefully, a model the Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi believes can inspire the world.
Among others, Suresh Pant, PCCF-HoFF, P K Jha, PCCF(Wildlife), Heidi Riddle, Vice Chairperson of IUCN Species Survival Commission,Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Additional Director General of Forests and Director, Project Elephant, MoEF&CC, Government of India and Adam Felts, Vice President of Animal Care, Columbus Zoo spoke on the issue.
The event concluded with the release of a coffee table book and a short film showcasing Odisha’s conservation efforts.