Paribartan team has continued elephant conservation and corridor management activities since 2009.Paribartan team dedicated to protecting endangered species, protect their habitats, and defending biodiversity with participation of tribal /forest dependant community. The Paribartan team fosters an entrepreneurial spirit in conservation and partners with community-based tribal women group, conservationists & forest administration to develop solutions especially to mitigate man-elephant conflict. 80 per cent of India’s elephant population is in eastern region of India and elephants in Odisha constitute 74% of the total elephant of the eastern region of India. The elephant population in Odisha today faces serious conservation challenges which could be broadly classified into elephant related issues and habitat related issues. Between the year 2000 and 2016, Odisha lost 887 elephants, while Odisha now with 1,954 remaining elephants. Elephants fighting a tough battle to survive in the Telkoi-Pallahara elephant corridor, if we do not help it fast, it could become extinct in less than a decade or two. Internalizing that, the applicant has instrumental in mobilizing tribal community, forest administration and local CBOs to chalk out long range strategic plan emphasizing public, private, community partnership approach for conservation of elephants and their habitat.

Objectives

 To strengthen the knowledge, attitude, behaviour and practices of existing 120 community based elephant trackers through advanced refresher training on management of habitat, how to watch elephant movement and defensive measures to drive out elephant herd

 To organize training for 240 tribal farmers on cultivation and marketing of non lure crops –this provides alternative incomes and reduces the dependency on subsistence crops that are prone to damage by elephants

 To undertake plantation (150000 seedlings) with elephant’s favourite fruit bearing plants and fast growing bamboo species and digging of elephant trench around 60 villages coming in the vicinity of elephant corridor.

 To generate awareness among tribal and forest dependent communities on re-creation of lost transit paths and training villagers by trained elephant trackers on consequences of unsustainable natural resource use and options for communities to support elephant corridor (spread over 56.61 sq km and 23.8 km long having width from 0.08 to 4.6 km.) conservation efforts furthering mitigation of man elephant conflicts.

 To organize regular village meetings for mobilizing tribal community/forest dependent community’s support and participation for protection, conservation and regeneration of natural forest, reserve, water bodies and corridor health with focus on elephant friendly plantation activities.

 To promote farm based livelihood option with non lure cropping pattern for tribal community residing adjacent to Telkoi-Pallahara elephant corridor, thus reduce crop raid, furthering mitigation of Man – Elephant conflicts