Actress and environmental advocate Dia Mirza on 12 August appealed to the government to strengthen protections for elephant corridors across India, emphasising that the safe movement of elephants through their ancestral landscapes is as critical as preserving forests and wildlife sanctuaries. Her call came on the occasion of World Elephant Day, observed annually on 12 August to spotlight the threats faced by elephants globally.

The Right of Passage Appeal

In a video shared on Instagram, Mirza described elephants as among the world's greatest travellers, tracing routes across rivers, grasslands, farms, and forests for thousands of years in search of food, water, mates, and genetic diversity. She framed the preservation of these routes as a 'right of passage' — a term also central to the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)'s ongoing conservation initiative of the same name.

'When we think about protecting elephants, we often picture dense forests and protected areas. But what if I told you that the future of elephants depends just as much on the landscapes beyond these forests?' Mirza said in the video.

What Is Threatening Elephant Corridors

Mirza pointed to expanding roads, railways, settlements, and mines as the primary drivers fragmenting elephant habitats into isolated pockets. She warned that as ancient routes disappear, elephants are forced into shrinking spaces, intensifying human-elephant conflict and undermining the long-term genetic health of wild populations.

'These ancient routes are disappearing. Fragmented habitats are breaking landscapes into isolated islands. Elephants are forced into smaller spaces, increasing conflict with people and threatening their long-term survival,' she said.

What Science and Policy Must Do

Citing scientific consensus, Mirza argued that elephant conservation must now extend beyond protected areas to encompass landscape connectivity — ensuring that development planning, business activity, and local land use all account for wildlife movement. She called on governments to integrate connectivity into land-use frameworks, businesses to build responsibly, and local communities — whom she described as the true stewards of these landscapes — to remain central to solutions.

'Science is now unequivocal. Protecting elephants is no longer just about protecting forests. It's about protecting connectivity,' she said.

Wildlife Trust of India's Role

Mirza highlighted the work of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), which has spent decades identifying, securing, and restoring critical elephant corridors in partnership with governments, communities, and conservation organisations. She urged the public to contribute to WTI's efforts, noting in her caption that the Asian Elephant is also India's National Heritage Animal. 'Every contribution, big or small, can make a meaningful difference,' she wrote.

As human infrastructure continues to encroach on wildlife habitats, advocates argue that corridor protection must be written into national land-use policy — not treated as an afterthought to development planning.