President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu visited Theppakadu Elephant Camp, one of the oldest elephant camps in Asia, at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve today (5 Aug 2023) and interacted with Mahouts and Cavadies .
During the interaction, the chairman said that he must be a source of pride that the Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s activities have gained global recognition for its stewardship of elephant care through the Oscar-winning documentary ‘The elephant whisperers’. He said that, as part of the conservation of our national heritage, it is our national responsibility to protect elephants. She was happy to note that the government is setting up a “State of the Art Elephant Conservation Center and Ecological Complex” at Theppakadu Elephant Camp to make it a pioneer in Asian elephant conservation.
The president said that tribal communities play an important role in preserving India’s cultural heritage. Therefore, it is very important to guarantee them constitutional rights and provide them with basic services. She was happy to note that the traditional knowledge and experience of the people belonging to Bettakurumbar, Kattunayakar and Malasar tribal communities are being used to run Theppakadu Elephant Camp.
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DS/AK
