In a groundbreaking move towards enhancing the welfare of captive Asian elephants, Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve recently hosted an international training program. Bringing together experts from the Human Elephant Learning Programs Foundation in Australia, the event aimed at equipping mahouts with modern, ethical training methods.
This collaboration, held from February 1 to 4, involved teams from Kaziranga National Park and the Wildlife Trust of India. The focus remained on science-based practices to ensure better elephant management, a pressing need as nearly one-third of the world’s critically endangered Asian elephants live in captivity.
Field Director C. Ramesh hailed the initiative as a testament to global efforts for elephant conservation. The program, shaping ‘Master Mahouts’ of the future, is indicative of fruitful Indo-Australian ties in wildlife protection, striving towards the best life for these majestic creatures.