GUWAHATI: Though they may not be from a land of elephants, a team of Australian elephant experts is training mahouts in Assam.
Australian charity HELP Foundation partnered with Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) on the management and welfare of captive elephants at the Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve as well as the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
A training programme for the mahouts was organised at the 850 sq km Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from February 1-4.
With nearly one-third of the world’s critically endangered Asian elephant population living in captivity, the programme focused on implementing science-based, ethical training methods.
The mahouts were trained to guide jumbos to respond to commands without using pain or force. Through such interventions, the stakeholders aim to create a “welfare-friendly legacy,” with the “master mahouts” serving as a vital pathway toward this outcome.
The HELP Foundation team worked intensively with a group of specially chosen mahouts from Manas and Kaziranga.
The master mahouts were trained to be able to teach new recruits across Northern India.
The goal was to ensure calm, safe interactions that are vital for daily management and for performing veterinary procedures that are stress-free for both the animals and the medical staff.
Dr Andrew McLean, lead trainer from the HELP Foundation, expressed happiness over getting an opportunity to work with the staff from the two national parks. He explained that the training involved four steps to handle a captive elephant – voice command, stick direction, verbal praise (‘shabash’), and food as a reward.
“Training elephants in Assam is for a better cause because they are used for surveillance of national parks and census of other animals. Elephants are good vehicles. You don’t disturb the wildlife when you ride an elephant. They go everywhere. They are very useful during anti-poaching operations,” Dr McLean told TNIE.
Kasem Ali, a master trainer, said he realised after undergoing the training that louder commands do not necessarily help in the better management of elephants. Thirty-six younger mahouts learnt from the master trainers.
Bhaskar Choudhury, a wildlife veterinarian at the WTI-run Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation at Kaziranga, said with the discontinuation of traditional wild elephant capture and training, knowledge of captive elephant management gradually faded.
“New recruits find it extremely challenging as no formal platform of their training exists today. We’re happy that the mahouts have found the training quite useful and practical. Captive-born calves mostly pick up vices during their first four to five years of life. This can be avoided if they are trained from a much younger age which is safe for both elephants and mahouts,” he said.
Dr C Ramesh, Field Director of Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, noted: “We are proud to be at the forefront of elephant welfare, implementing world-leading and scientifically backed methods which will make a kinder world for elephants. The collaborative effort shows what sustained and positive outcomes can be achieved when we all work together.”
Mark Trayling, Chair of the HELP Foundation, said, “In Australia, we are fortunate to have kangaroos and koalas, and India is blessed with extraordinary wildlife like elephants, tigers, rhinos, and lions. We both work toward a shared goal: giving these animals their best possible life.”