Guwahati: World Elephant Day was marked with a unique initiative in Assam’s Goalpara district on Tuesday as communities from Assam and Meghalaya, along with forest officials, came together for the third edition of the Elephant Cup Football Tournament at Borjhara High School playground near the inter-state boundary.
Organized by the Goalpara Forest Division in collaboration with the Wildlife Divisions of East and West Garo Hills (Meghalaya) and biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak, the event aimed to raise awareness about elephant conservation and human-elephant coexistence along border areas.
The matches were supported by Darwin Initiative, British Asian Trust, and Elephant Family.
The day featured three competitive matches witnessed by over a thousand villagers.
Assam teams dominated, winning all three fixtures—community teams, forest department teams, and the much-anticipated Under-19 clash. Assam U-19 captain Pankaj Rabha bagged the best player award.
Senior forest officials from both states, including Central Assam’s Conservator of Forest Sunnydeo Indradeo Chaudhury, Garo Hills Conservator M J Sangma, and Goalpara DFO Tejas Mariswamy, attended the event.
They highlighted the importance of fostering cross-border cooperation for mitigating human-elephant conflict (HEC).
“Such initiatives not only promote awareness but also strengthen community ties and build trust for coexistence,” said Mariswamy.
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His Meghalaya counterpart, Arpiush Sangma, noted that with 60% of the Asian elephant population in India, collaborative efforts like these are vital for conservation.
Aaranyak’s Deputy Executive Director Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, who spearheaded the event, said the Elephant Cup has become a popular annual platform for spreading awareness since its inception in 2023.
He stressed the need for improving elephant habitats alongside mitigation measures.
The event concluded with a felicitation and prize distribution ceremony anchored by Anushka Saikia Choudhury.
