New Delhi, August 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted India's efforts to conserve elephants, noting that the country is home to more than 60 per cent of the world's wild Asian elephant population on the occasion of World Elephant Day.

In a post on X, Modi said elephants have remained an integral part of India's ecological heritage and welcomed the country's significant role in their conservation.

He said India has 33 Elephant Reserves, which provide vital habitats and support long-term conservation efforts. The Prime Minister also praised forest personnel, scientists, veterinarians, mahouts and local communities for their contribution to protecting elephants and their habitats.

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav also reaffirmed India's commitment to ensuring a sustainable future for both elephants and people.

Yadav said the country has 33 Elephant Reserves across 14 States and 150 scientifically validated elephant corridors. He added that advanced population monitoring and stronger measures to mitigate human-elephant conflict are further strengthening conservation efforts.

The minister stressed that protecting elephants is closely linked to safeguarding India's forests, biodiversity and ecological heritage, and called for continued efforts to ensure that elephants can move freely across forests and landscapes for generations to come.

Observed annually onAugust 12, World Elephant Day seeks to raise awareness about the challenges facing elephants and promote sustained global action for their protection. In India, conservation efforts focus on addressing habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, illegal wildlife trade and human-elephant conflict.