Haathi Mere Saathi Campaign Jun 2026

Building the capacity of law enforcement agencies and advocating for policies that favor the long-term survival of the species.

The primary goal of the campaign is to move beyond mere "friendship" and foster a sense of "companionship" between humans and elephants. haathi mere saathi campaign

The Bollywood film, while well-intentioned, was criticized for anthropomorphizing elephants and villainizing all local farmers (portrayed as greedy). This risks alienating the very communities the campaign needs as allies. Real HEC is nuanced—poverty, crop dependence, and poor land-use planning are systemic issues, not just “bad people.” Building the capacity of law enforcement agencies and

The Elephant's Lament: A Journey of Coexistence This risks alienating the very communities the campaign

India has 101 designated elephant corridors, of which over 60% are severely degraded. The campaign has helped secure roughly 15–20 corridors in over a decade. At that pace, it would take 40+ years to fix the problem—meanwhile, 500+ elephants and 1,000+ humans die annually from HEC.

The campaign features a distinctive mascot named , designed to appeal to the public and symbolize the elephant's place in Indian heritage. Various programs have been organized under its banner, such as: