Friends of Elephants in collaboration with BBMP-Forest Cell and Namma Metro is hosting a global march for the cause of elephants and rhinos on October 4. This is part of a Global Campaign for the animals and will be held across 115 cities around the world.
Globally, elephants and rhinoceros suffer a lot due to poaching, compounded by habitat loss and fragmentation. In spite of there being no medical proof, fuelled by demand from the Asian medicine market, Rhinos are being increasingly poached for their horns.
The march is dedicated to promote awareness on conservation and welfare of many species both in wild and captivity. It also hopes to serve as a means to educate participants about the elephant-rhino crisis and also evoke the curiosity of onlookers, who, organizer hope, will in turn be motivated to join the cause.
Friends of Elephants will also host a special programme on elephants ‘Protecting Pachyderms’ on October 4, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rangasthala – Rangoli Metro Art Centre, M.G. Road, where the drama club of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Rangmanch presents a skit Ivory is why I Worry. This will be followed by a screening of the film North-Eastern Diaries: Kaziranga- Land of Rhino by Sandesh Kadur. “The conservation of pachyderms in India: Elephant and Rhino” – is a lecture that will be delivered by Dr. A.J.T. Johnsingh, crusader for conservation, who is currently associated with Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and WWF-India. The whole series of events will conclude with a panel discussion on “Past and future of pachyderms”.
For the Global March, participants will gather at 7 a.m. and march from the Queen Victoria Statue, M.G. Road to the Governor’s Bungalow, Raj Bhavan. Participation in the march in Bangalore can be confirmed through (www.facebook.com/ events/464049277063534). For queries, email march4pachyderms@gmail .com.
