The Real Elephant Collective and Rang De are conserving the elephants and empowering the tribal communities of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

The Real Elephant Collective, a not-for-profit socio-environmental enterprise, and Rang De, a peer-to-peer lending platform, have partnered to save the elephants of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Lantana weed is an invasive species widely found in the Nilgiri Biosphere of the Western Ghats in Southern India. If consumed by animals and birds, this weed can be harmful to them. Additionally, it hampers the growth of native plants due to its corrosive chemical properties. In response to this issue, The Real Elephant Collective and Rang De have collaborated to create life-sized elephant structures from the Lantana Weed, aiming to reduce its presence in the forests.

The Real Elephant Collective is a non-profit organization that conducts research on elephants of all species in India and makes efforts to conserve them. One of their recent projects is 'Nilgiri Elephants.' "This initiative focuses on creating life-sized elephant structures from Lantana weed by engaging the tribal community and selling them through different workshops and exhibitions throughout the world, Sukhada Chaudhary, Head of Community and Content at Rang De, stated. The project involves 125 tribal artisans from the Soliga, Paniya, Bettakurumba, and Kattunayakan tribal communities residing in the Mudumalai forest, Biligiri Ranga Tiger Reserve (BR Hills), and NM Hills Forests. This endeavor not only provides gainful and culturally appropriate employment but also contributes to reducing the prevalence of Lantana weed, benefiting both the environment and the artisans.

Also Read: Forest Conservation and Indigenous Community Empowerment: The Impact of the Balipara Foundation

Each elephant structure is a replica of the actual elephant found in the forests of the South. Over 200+ structures have been made by the communities so far. The capital funds required for making these figures are provided by Rang De which is a social investing platform that enables individuals to lend to unbanked farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs and help kickstart, sustain, and grow their livelihoods.

They have formed the ‘Nilgiri Elephant Fund’ for this project particularly, where investors can contribute to this cause. “Till now, 2179 people have invested 35 lakhs”, stated Sukhada Chaudhary on how has been the response so far but not a lot of people are aware of the same and we would like to spread the message to as many as possible. The funds received will be used for making 300 elephant structures and providing a livelihood to the tribal communities. As these structures take months to build, it provides a means of support for the tribal communities living especially in the inner forest areas. It's an effort by The Real Elephant Collective and Rang De where art meets conservation meets livelihood.

Also Read: Meet one of the cutest animals, elephants in these elephant reserves in India!

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