In a first-of-its-kind initiative, two mahouts from Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) have attended an international training course on positive reinforcement techniques for captive elephants.
The three-day workshop, titled the ‘Gentle Training Workshop,’ was conducted from November 6-8 at the National Elephant Institute in Lampang, Thailand. This is for the first time that mahouts from Kaziranga are participating in such an international forum, underlining Assam’s commitment to adopting modern, humane techniques in wildlife management.
A First in History of Kaziranga Mahouts
Kaziranga was represented by two mahouts, Kasim Ali of the Kaziranga Range and Sanjeev Pegu of the Agaratoli Range, at the said high-level workshop. The H-ELP was the organiser and invited guests from Nepal, Laos PDR, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. The training exercise was to update mahouts with new skills through positive reinforcement for better enrichment of captive elephants instead of the ancient punishment model.
It is based on positive reinforcement, a scientifically proven training method that introduces an incentive by using a stimulus to encourage desired behaviors instead of using punishment for correcting undesired actions. The workshop is headed by well-known trainers such as Dr. Andrew McLean and Dr. Portland Jones of the H-ELP Foundation and Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury of the Wildlife Trust of India.
“Positive reinforcement techniques are a game-changer in the field of elephant training. It immensely cuts down stress, pain, and even fear among elephants. This ensures that this animal and handler relationship is at its best,” said Dr. McLean during one of the sessions.
Training Highlights: Theory and Practical Insights
The “Gentle Training Workshop” was designed not only to provide theoretical information but also practical experience concerning the behavior of elephants and sequences in training. The mahouts were well-exposed to various humane techniques, among them:
- Verbal and Signal Training: This is a training method through which the mahout gives both verbal and hand signals in conducting the elephant, establishing communication with the mahout by the elephant without forceful means.
- Desensitization Methods: The training incorporated techniques on how the elephants desensitize their selves from stress amid handling events that might be painful or frightening. This is very important because it makes them confront dangerous or unexpected situations calmly.
Dr. Portland Jones, one of the facilitators, said: “Desensitization is a very important skill especially to animals like elephants that are exposed to stressful environments. We can enhance their response and general well-being by using gentle techniques.”.
Implications of Captive Elephant Management at Kaziranga
The skills and knowledge to be acquired by the mahouts of Kaziranga will go a long way in affecting captive elephants within the park positively. Utilizing positive reinforcement techniques by the mahouts will ensure that the captive animals in that particular place get a better quality of life, cared for with love, and do not suffer any neglectful practices.
Kaziranga National Park, hosting the largest population of wild and captive elephants, has relied in the past on traditional training methods, which have usually focused on dominance through punishment. This turn towards positive reinforcement thereby represents a general world trend towards humane animal handling practices.
Support from Government for Modern Wildlife Conservation
I am glad that mahouts from Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve attended an international training in Thailand on the use of positive reinforcement techniques in the management of captive elephants, says Assam’s forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary alluding to this international effort. Our government under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma continues to embrace the latest scientific methods for wildlife conservation, he added.
The minister emphasized that the state government is interested in developing better techniques of wildlife management in Assam, and thus the rich biodiversity of the state would be preserved with modern, ethics-based practices.
Wider Implications of the Training
While this international workshop benefits the local conservation effort, it positions Assam as one of the states in India to lead ethical management of wildlife. This learning will filter into other mahouts in the region and potentially change how captive elephants are handled in the state.
“Empowering mahouts with scientific and compassionate training techniques is a step towards safeguarding both the welfare of elephants and the rich heritage of mahout culture,” Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury of the Wildlife Trust of India said.
Success of this effort would further open up possibilities in collaborating with the international conservation organizations by Assam’s wildlife authorities. The state is now set to explore its possibilities of hosting similar workshops in Kaziranga by inviting experts from all over the world and imparting knowledge from them to local mahouts and the forest staff.
The more humane the world becomes in its relations with animals, the more other wildlife reserves are inspired to emulate Kaziranga. Such a training plan, again, proves that Assam stands for change because of global policy in wildlife conservation along with its living wonders, both the elephant and the caretaker, sharing more humane and effective management interventions.
It is a huge step forward into the realm of elephant welfare and conservation of taking international training up by mahouts at Kaziranga. The positive reinforcement-based approach would enhance the general welfare of captive elephants inside the park, thereby enhancing that romantic partnership linking these majestic animals with their devoted mahout custodians.
And that ideal approach is bound to set new heights in wildlife management standards, proof in practice of sensitive, scientifically grounded conservation practice.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, two mahouts from Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) have attended an international training course on positive reinforcement techniques for captive elephants.
The three-day workshop, titled the ‘Gentle Training Workshop,’ was conducted from November 6-8 at the National Elephant Institute in Lampang, Thailand. This is for the first time that mahouts from Kaziranga are participating in such an international forum, underlining Assam’s commitment to adopting modern, humane techniques in wildlife management.
A First in History of Kaziranga Mahouts
Kaziranga was represented by two mahouts, Kasim Ali of the Kaziranga Range and Sanjeev Pegu of the Agaratoli Range, at the said high-level workshop. The H-ELP was the organiser and invited guests from Nepal, Laos PDR, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. The training exercise was to update mahouts with new skills through positive reinforcement for better enrichment of captive elephants instead of the ancient punishment model.
It is based on positive reinforcement, a scientifically proven training method that introduces an incentive by using a stimulus to encourage desired behaviors instead of using punishment for correcting undesired actions.
The workshop is headed by well-known trainers such as Dr. Andrew McLean and Dr. Portland Jones of the H-ELP Foundation and Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury of the Wildlife Trust of India.
“Positive reinforcement techniques are a game-changer in the field of elephant training. It immensely cuts down stress, pain, and even fear among elephants. This ensures that this animal and handler relationship is at its best,” said Dr. McLean during one of the sessions.
Training Highlights: Theory and Practical Insights
The “Gentle Training Workshop” was designed not only to provide theoretical information but also practical experience concerning the behavior of elephants and sequences in training. The mahouts were well-exposed to various humane techniques, among them:
- Verbal and Signal Training: This is a training method through which the mahout gives both verbal and hand signals in conducting the elephant, establishing communication with the mahout by the elephant without forceful means.
- Desensitization Methods: The training incorporated techniques on how the elephants desensitize their selves from stress amid handling events that might be painful or frightening. This is very important because it makes them confront dangerous or unexpected situations calmly.
Dr. Portland Jones, one of the facilitators, said: “Desensitization is a very important skill especially to animals like elephants that are exposed to stressful environments. We can enhance their response and general well-being by using gentle techniques.”.
Implications of Captive Elephant Management at Kaziranga
The skills and knowledge to be acquired by the mahouts of Kaziranga will go a long way in affecting captive elephants within the park positively. Utilizing positive reinforcement techniques by the mahouts will ensure that the captive animals in that particular place get a better quality of life, cared for with love, and do not suffer any neglectful practices.
Kaziranga National Park, hosting the largest population of wild and captive elephants, has relied in the past on traditional training methods, which have usually focused on dominance through punishment. This turn towards positive reinforcement thereby represents a general world trend towards humane animal handling practices.
Support from Government for Modern Wildlife Conservation
I am glad that mahouts from Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve attended an international training in Thailand on the use of positive reinforcement techniques in the management of captive elephants, says Assam’s forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary alluding to this international effort.
Our government under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma continues to embrace the latest scientific methods for wildlife conservation, he added.
The minister emphasized that the state government is interested in developing better techniques of wildlife management in Assam, and thus the rich biodiversity of the state would be preserved with modern, ethics-based practices.
Wider Implications of the Training
While this international workshop benefits the local conservation effort, it positions Assam as one of the states in India to lead ethical management of wildlife. This learning will filter into other mahouts in the region and potentially change how captive elephants are handled in the state.
“Empowering mahouts with scientific and compassionate training techniques is a step towards safeguarding both the welfare of elephants and the rich heritage of mahout culture,” Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury of the Wildlife Trust of India said.
Success of this effort would further open up possibilities in collaborating with the international conservation organizations by Assam’s wildlife authorities. The state is now set to explore its possibilities of hosting similar workshops in Kaziranga by inviting experts from all over the world and imparting knowledge from them to local mahouts and the forest staff.
The more humane the world becomes in its relations with animals, the more other wildlife reserves are inspired to emulate Kaziranga. Such a training plan, again, proves that Assam stands for change because of global policy in wildlife conservation along with its living wonders, both the elephant and the caretaker, sharing more humane and effective management interventions.
It is a huge step forward into the realm of elephant welfare and conservation of taking international training up by mahouts at Kaziranga. The positive reinforcement-based approach would enhance the general welfare of captive elephants inside the park, thereby enhancing that romantic partnership linking these majestic animals with their devoted mahout custodians.
And that ideal approach is bound to set new heights in wildlife management standards, proof in practice of sensitive, scientifically grounded conservation practice.
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