Pioneering Conservation Efforts for India's Elephants
Robtic Elephant
The inspiration for creating Asian Elephants 101 was deeply personal. My first documentary, Gods in Shackles, which was nominated at the United Nations General Assembly and won 13 international film festival awards, focused solely on the plight of captive elephants
By Nimaya Nanayakkara
Sangita Iyer is an internationally acclaimed environmental educator, journalist, and filmmaker dedicated to protecting India’s Asian elephants. Best known for her award- winning documentary Gods in Shackles, which exposed the mistreatment of captive elephants, Iyer brought international attention to their plight. Through her non-profit organization, Voice for Asian Elephants Society (VFAES), she continues to champion cutting edge AI based technology for elephant conservation, from launching robotic elephants to preventing train collisions with elephants to planting elephant-friendly saplings, creating sustainable solutions that benefit both wildlife and local communities. In a recent interview, Iyer highlighted her ongoing efforts to merge science, cultural sensitivity, and storytelling to drive impactful change for elephants and the people living alongside them.
Q: What inspired the creation of your documentary series 'Asian Elephants 101', and what impact do you hope it will have on conservation efforts?
The inspiration for creating Asian Elephants 101 was deeply personal. My first documentary, Gods in Shackles, which was nominated at the United Nations General Assembly and won 13 international film festival awards, focused solely on the plight of captive elephants. Their suffering, especially in the southern regions of India where they are exploited in the name of culture and religion, is heartbreaking. But as I delved deeper, I realized there was an even more urgent crisis affecting their wild counterparts. Wild elephants have lost 80% of their natural habitat, and the resulting human-elephant conflicts are taking a devastating toll on both the elephants and the communities that live on the forest fringes. I felt an overwhelming need to shine a light on this, to show that their suffering is not just a conservation issue—it’s a moral issue. Through Asian Elephants 101, I hope to awaken a sense of empathy and urgency in people, inspiring them to take action to protect these majestic creatures and preserve the ecosystems they’re so vital to. Ultimately, I hope this series ignites change, leading to stronger conservation efforts and policies that will ensure elephants can roam free for generations to come.
We are excited to launch life-sized robotic elephants in temples .... We are also expanding our EleSense technology, which has already averted 1,000 train collisions with elephants. In 2025, we plan to launch a large-scale project to purchase land and plant elephant-friendly saplings, fostering peaceful coexistence between people and elephants
Q: How has your experience in broadcast journalism influenced your approach to conservation storytelling, particularly in your work with National Geographic?
Broadcast journalism taught me the power of storytelling through sights, sounds, and images to shape public perception and inspire action. Whether it's a news piece or a documentary, the heart of conservation storytelling lies in capturing authentic, emotional moments that resonate with audiences.
By creating a space where interviewees feel comfortable and speak honestly, their stories become powerful tools for change. My background in science and broadcasting allows me to simplify complex issues and craft compelling narratives, which is why I was able to become a National Geographic Explorer—using storytelling to drive impact.
Q:Can you share how you navigate the challenges of promoting conservation while ensuring the fair treatment of local communities living on the fringes of forests in India?
In Odisha, we empower tribal communities by employing them to plant elephant-friendly saplings and build water holes—creating vital resources for elephants while providing jobs for the people. By giving locals a stake in conservation, they’re more compassionate toward the elephants they share the land with.
Too often, conservationists focus solely on wildlife, neglecting the human side, which breeds resentment. Our approach is different: we foster a sense of coexistence, where both people and elephants thrive together. It’s about creating harmony between nature and communities, ensuring mutual care and survival.
Q: What strategies do you use to integrate cultural sensitivity into your conservation projects, especially when addressing preconceived notions?
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Cultural sensitivity is at the heart of everything we do. In India, many communities near forests hold elephants in deep reverence, viewing them as sacred embodiments of Lord Ganesha. This spiritual bond has, in many ways, been the elephants’ saving grace, even amidst threats like electrocution and train collisions. Rather than imposing external solutions, we honour these beliefs, recognizing that conservation must align with their cultural identity. By respecting their traditions, we show that protecting elephants is not just about wildlife—it's about preserving something deeply woven into their heritage. This approach has been vital in fostering trust and ensuring the communities embrace conservation as part of their own story, rather than something imposed from the outside.
Q: In your work, how do you balance the power of science and exploration with the need for effective communication and education?
Balancing science with storytelling is at the core of my work. As a biologist and communicator, I see the beauty in both: science gives us the facts, the evidence, and the urgency, while storytelling breathes life into those facts, making them relatable and impactful. My background in biology helps me grasp the intricacies of elephant behaviour and ecosystem dynamics, and my training in environmental education and broadcast journalism allows me to translate those complexities into narratives that resonate. Films are a perfect medium for this—through powerful visuals and emotional storytelling, I can take the raw data and transform it into something people not only understand but feel deeply connected to.
By blending the precision of science with the emotional pull of storytelling, we can inspire people to care, engage, and ultimately act on behalf of conservation. It’s about making the science accessible, and also unforgettable.
Q:Could you discuss a specific project where you successfully used storytelling to engage and educate both local communities and global audiences?
Deadly Tracks, part of the Asian Elephants 101 series, had a profound impact on both local communities and global audiences. The film exposed the heartbreaking loss of elephants killed on train tracks, moving even local farmers—who once saw elephants as crop destroyers—to tears. Similarly, Treacherous Crossings shed light on the tragic deaths of elephants electrocuted by sagging power lines, stirring deep empathy. These stories resonated because they brought the raw reality of these tragedies to life, making people care, act, and demand change.
Through storytelling, we are transforming anger and apathy into compassion and action, both locally and globally.
Q: What are your future goals for conservation in India?
We are excited to launch life-sized robotic elephants in temples, replacing live elephants to preserve cultural traditions without harming animals. Not a single Hindu or Buddhist tradition promotes the exploitation of elephants, so this initiative aligns with their values. We are also expanding our EleSense technology, which has already averted 1,000 train collisions with elephants. In 2025, we plan to launch a large-scale project to purchase land and plant elephant-friendly saplings, fostering peaceful coexistence between people and elephants.
These efforts will ensure that conservation continues to evolve in innovative, sustainable ways. Our future vision is rooted in compassion and innovation. We are set to introduce life-sized robotic elephants to replace LIVE elephants in temples, offering a way to honour cultural traditions without causing them harm. No Hindu or Buddhist teaching condones the suffering of elephants, and this initiative beautifully aligns with their core values of reverence and kindness. We’re also expanding our groundbreaking EleSense technology that has averted hundreds of tragedies, and prevented over 1,000 train collisions with elephants. Looking ahead to 2025, we’re embarking on a transformative project—purchasing land and planting elephant- friendly saplings, creating safe havens where elephants and people can coexist in harmony. These aren’t just conservation efforts—they’re a promise. A promise to leave behind a legacy of compassion, innovation, and a future where people and elephants thrive together.
Pix courtesy Sangita Iyer
