Date published: September 3, 2010
Author: Wildlifewatch Editorial
Jairam Ramesh also said Wildlife (Protection) Act would also be amended to pave way for setting up of National Elephants Conservation Authority (NECA) on the lines of the NTCA that has been constituted for the tiger conservation, as suggested by a panel. "We will introduce it (amendment) in the winter session of Parliament," Ramesh said underlining the urgency to protect the jumbos in the country before they could go the tiger ways
Closely associated with the religion and culture of the country, the elephant would soon be declared a national heritage animal as a step up measure for its protection, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said today. "We will soon declare elephant as a national heritage animal as they have been part
of our heritage since ages. We need to give same degree of importance to elephant as is given to tiger in order to protect the big animal," Ramesh told reporters in New Delhi, according to Hindustan Times.
Last October, the government had declared the river dolphin as the "national aquatic animal" which represents the health of the rivers, particularly the Ganga.