3:00pm-4:00pm on Friday 22 March
Times shown are in GMT (UTC +0) up to the 26th March. For events on or after 27th March times are in BST (UTC +1).
Whipple Museum of the History of Science, Free School Lane, CB2 3RH
This talk will be presented by Prerna Bindra, a PhD scholar at St John’s College, studying in the Department of Geography.
Along with his two friends, Abhijith Nair (name changed) had invested all their money in a banana plantation in the small settlement where they live. But one night, just before the harvest was due, the elephants came in and raided the fields, destroying the entire crop.
Because wildlife populations have plummeted 69% since 1970, the importance and urgency of conserving wildlife cannot be overstated. Biodiversity underpins all economic activities and human wellbeing. Our livelihood, wellbeing and economy are also dependent on nature and thriving ecosystems. Wildlife enables nature to be productive, resilient and adaptable. No future is possible without nature and wildlife.
Yet, conserving wildlife is fraught with complex challenges – not the least of which is saving potentially ‘dangerous’ animals living among dense human populations.
Large carnivores such as tigers and elephants represent a classic conservation challenge. Growing rural populations and the expansion of human habitation, agricultural land, and deforestation for industry and infrastructure have destroyed and fragmented wildlife habitats and migratory corridors. This has led to more human–wildlife interaction, and thereby conflict.
In my presentation, I will focus on India, where ~28,000 elephants and ~3,000 tigers survive alongside a population of over 1.3 billion people.
The people of the country are traditionally tolerant and accepting of wild animals as neighbours, and have lived alongside these animals for generations. India’s culture is rooted in nature – we revere rivers and mountains. The tiger is the vehicle of the Goddess Durga. The elephant is of great cultural significance to many communities, but how does this play out when they regularly cause loss of livelihoods and property, and even kill people? How does the elephant, an intelligent, sentient being, navigate its way in an increasingly hostile landscape? Can elephants and people co-exist?
