Did you know that elephants have a sour tooth or that they like daily, hour-long massages, preferably done in a circular motion with a pumice stone? If you own an elephant and don't know how to keep it happy, you could learn a few lessons from Parbati Barua, Asia's only female mahout, or elephant handler, who recently taught 150 mahouts in the northwestern desert state of Rajasthan about elephant management. The talk was sponsored by the government's tourism department and the animal-welfare group Help In Suffering (HIS) in Jaipur.
Barua, 53 years old and barely 150cm, knows her elephants well. She lassoed her first wild elephant at the age of 14.
"You need a little luck and the instinct to read the animal's mind. Catching an elephant is not about strength," she said.
PHOTO: AP
Barua's lessons were given at Amber Fort, an architectural marvel built by Hindu Rajput kings in the 16th century on a hillside that overlooks a lake. Few tourists opt for the 10-minute walk up to the fort -- most enjoy making a grand entrance on elephant back.
Amber Fort employs 103 elephants, with a one-way trip of four people per elephant costing 450 rupees (NT$315). For working eight hours a day, the elephant only gets 20 rupees for its welfare fund.
In a city where temperatures average 40?C through most of the year, the animals suffer from dehydration, upset stomachs, sunburn, foot sores, ulcers, cracked nails from walking on hot asphalt and blindness caused by poor nutrition.
"Captive elephants live longer than those in the wild, with a life span of 60 to 70 years. Most start working at 25 and retire at 55, so it's important to keep them healthy," said HIS veterinarian Madhulal. HIS holds regular elephant health camps at Amber Fort and even has an elephant ambulance.
"Mahouts need training on how to keep their elephants fit, how to ride them, how to use the `ankush' [spear-like device to control the elephant] and `gear' [cotton ropes tied around the elephant's neck to control its movements]," said Pavan Jain, assistant director of the tourism department.
Barua said, "An elephant is a very loving animal. We bring them up like our children: We love them, hit them and shout at them. But, no matter how long we keep an elephant with us, in its heart it is a wild animal and some of that wildness remains. We must always remember this and be careful of it. An elephant can't be domesticated."
Barua gave lessons in tying a howdah, or seat on which the tourists sit, and the most humane way of using the kilawa, or gear.
"They are nocturnal animals and it is cruel to make them work long hours during the day. It's not that we shouldn't entertain tourists, because it's a question of livelihood and survival for the mahouts, but we should treat the animals better," Barua said.
Shahid Khan, a mahout with five elephants, said: "Our family has been in the elephant business for generations. The training was good because we got to share our problems."
Barua said the mahout-elephant bond is based on unconditional trust and understanding. "Elephants are sensitive and cultured. They are my only family."
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