Karbi Anglong, May 8, 2013: Marking a significant milestone in efforts to secure a crucial elephant corridor in northeast India, residents of an entire village have literally put down in stone, their willingness to voluntarily relocate outside the corridor to provide a right of passage for elephants.

A foundation stone for a model ethnic village was laid down yesterday marking the site of relocation of the Ram Terang villagers from Kalapahar Doigurung Elephant Corridor, as part of the Karbi Anglong Conservation Project. While the village will have traditional style houses reflecting the culture of the area, it will also be equipped with all the basic facilities and necessities such as electricity, health care, education etc.

Supported by Elephant Family, IUCN – Netherlands and Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund, the project is implemented by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), to assist the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and Assam Forest Department in wildlife conservation in the region.

Laying the foundation stone, Recho Haising Ronghang, the 40th King of Karbi Anglong said, “This is a new step that will benefit wildlife as well as people. There should be no barrier when it comes to wildlife conservation. We need to think of it as something that is necessary for human survival too.” He congratulated the team for the initiative that will benefit the people of the corridor areas. The CCF of Karbi Anglong, Abhijeet Rabha also congratulated the team and everyone involved on the big day.

The Kalapahar-Doigurung Elephant Corridor is located about 22 kms from Silonijan (Karbi Anglong) on Silonijan-Chokikhola and connects Kalapahar with Doigurung-Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaziranga National Park.

For about 30 years the village of Ram Terang, named after the head of the village, has been situated in the middle of the corridor. As a result, human-elephant conflicts are quite rampant with regular loss of property and life for both the elephants and the humans.

“There are about 1800 elephants in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape making it the habitat of about 8% of India’s elephants. Securing this corridor is not just about the right of passage for these elephants but also to relieve local people of losses caused due to conflicts”, said Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, Regional Head (Assam).

The process of course, reaching up to this milestone was not an easy one. It began about three years ago.

“The villagers were very hesitant at first when we approached them with the idea of relocation, and naturally so, as it involved their complete overhaul of their livelihoods. However, eventually they understood the need and benefits of the efforts for animals as well as themselves. Many individuals and agencies played a very crucial role in achieving this, and we are extremely grateful to all of them,” said Dilip Deori, Assistant Manager, WTI, while expressing his appreciation for the support and cooperation being shown by the local community and organisations.