Assam mahouts get Australian tips on handling elephants humanely

GUWAHATI

At Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve in western Assam, mahouts are learning to train elephants to respond to their commands without inflicting pain.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 850 sq. km Manas borders Bhutan. Bansbari, the central range of the national park, is about 130 km northwest of Guwahati.

An international training programme held from February 1 to 4, 2026, brought together experts from Australia’s H-ELP Foundation and teams from Kaziranga National Park and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). The aim: to improve the welfare of captive Asian elephants with modern, evidence-based training methods. H-ELP expands to Human-Elephant Training Programs.

With nearly one-third of the world’s critically endangered Asian elephant population living in captivity, the programme focussed on implementing science-based, ethical training methods.

“We worked with a team of specially chosen mahouts from Manas and Kaziranga, focussing on welfare-friendly practices that replace traditional methods with positive, pressure-release reinforcement,” Andrew McLean, lead trainer from the H-ELP Foundation, told The Hindu.

“The training entails four steps: voice command, stick direction, shabash voice praise, and giving food as a reward. The core commands are to go back, come forward, lift a leg, or pick anything up. This helps a lot in regular vet check-ups when you need to treat the elephant. Ultimately, the aim is for the communication between mahout and elephant to be just voice commands and hand signals,” he explained.

Bhaskar Choudhury, a wildlife veterinarian at the WTI-run Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation at Kaziranga, said some mahouts tend to give elephants the stick treatment out of frustration when they do not obey commands. “This training should go a long way in helping our mahouts, whose bonding with elephants is appreciable, be gentler with the gentle giants,” he said.

Approach benefits

Master trainer Alom Ali from Manas Tiger Reserve said the approach benefits both animals and handlers.

“A calm elephant is a safer elephant. These methods allow us to handle veterinary care and daily work without fear or pain. That is the future of elephant management,” he said.

The programme is also shaping a new generation of mahouts. Younger handlers say the training has changed how they communicate with animals weighing several tonnes.

“I used to think louder commands meant better control,” Dhaneshwar Kherkatary, a young mahout from Manas, said. “Now I understand that softer, consistent cues work better. The elephants respond because they trust us.”

Mark Trayling, the chairperson of the H-ELP Foundation, said the objective of the programme is to equip a team of master trainers, who pass on the module to younger mahouts and those with a passion for working with elephants. He also highlighted the shared values of Australia and India in wildlife protection.

“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,” he said.

C. Ramesh, the Field Director of Manas National Park, said the programme highlights the wildlife preserve as a vital part of global initiatives for holistic conservation.

“At Manas, 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. This is a collaborative effort and shows what sustained and positive outcomes can be achieved when we all work together,” he said.

Published – February 05, 2026 02:18 pm IST