India court orders tougher elephant protections

India's Supreme Court has ordered states to keep elephant corridors open, ban coercive methods used to drive herds away and identify obstructions. In a separate order, it also tightened welfare safeguards for captive elephants. NEW DELHI: India's Supreme Court has ordered a fresh set of measures aimed at protecting wild elephant herds, as shrinking habitat and growing conflict between humans and elephants put added pressure on the endangered species. The ruling, issued on Monday, directs state authorities to ensure that elephant corridors remain open and to carry out a survey to identify obstacles along those routes. According to the order, states must also take steps to stop the use of any coercive methods meant to alter the animals' natural movement. The court also required a ban on hulla parties, groups used to force elephants away through methods including fireballs and burning stakes. The order noted that ministry guidelines already existed to keep elephant corridors unobstructed, but said those pathways had often been blocked. India is home to most of the world's Asian elephants. The species is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, while its habitat has increasingly been fragmented by highways, railway lines and mining activity. Petitioner welcomes ruling Wildlife conservationist Prerna Singh Bindra, who pursued the public interest case on a pro bono basis, said her petition had challenged state governments over what she described as harsh treatment of elephants. She told AFP: It becomes a mob situation with thousands of people chasing the elephants using burning spears Bindra added: That does nothing to resolve conflict; science shows it only exacerbates the conflict. A former member of India's National Board for Wildlife, Bindra said the court's intervention was important for the species' survival in one of the world's most densely populated regions. She said known elephant corridors and habitats were being damaged and broken up at an unprecedented rate. She further said: We know where elephant corridors and habitats are - and they are being destroyed and fragmented at an unprecedented pace And added: The will to protect and preserve is markedly absent. We hope with this Supreme Court order, this survey must lead to action. Habitat pressure and population figures According to the World Wildlife Fund, fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild, with most living in India and others found in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. In India, elephants are protected under the law, designated as the country's national heritage animal, and are also regarded as sacred by many devotees of the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesh. India's government elephant survey, released in October 2025, put the country's wild elephant population at 22,446. The survey also warned that herds now occupy only a small portion of their former range, estimating that they are found in just 3.5% of the area they once inhabited. Separate order on captive elephants In a separate order issued on Tuesday, the Supreme Court also called for stronger welfare protections for more than 2,600 captive elephants in India. The measures include maintaining medical records for every elephant and carrying out regular health checks. Captive elephants, once widely used in logging, are now employed in tourism, entertainment and religious ceremonies. Animal rights group PETA India welcomed the steps intended to reduce suffering, but said captivity itself remained unacceptable. PETA India director Poorva Joshipura told AFP: no elephant belongs in captivity She added: Whether captured from the wild or bred for a lifetime of confinement, these intelligent, social animals are denied their forest homes, separated from their mothers, stripped of autonomy, enslaved, and controlled through intimidation and weapons