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Mr . Surendra Varma , Research Scientist , Asian Nature Conservation Foundation( ANCF )  , was invited by  the Nilgiri Natural History Society ( NNHS ) to give a talk on the ecology, management, conservation and welfare of the Asian Elephant. The talk was held at the Bee Museum in Ootacamund , Tamil Nadu on the 19^th of December 2012.

Mr Surendra Varma focued on the issues facing Asian Elephants both in captivity as well as in the wild. While most studies on elephant conservation use a more quantitative approach, Mr Varma adopts a more qualitative modus operandi . The highlight of his message to the members of the society was that just numbers should not be an indicator of how the species is doing in the wild and  more thorough research has to be done on physiological and psychological health of the elephants if we are to assess how future generations will fare. 

Needless to say that with this novel approach and with his easygoing manner and passion, Mr. Varma held the attention of his audience with ease. The talk was followed by an interactive session where Mr.Verma answered questions from the audience. The audience was a mixed one comprising of college students as well as interested individuals.