Tamil Nadu: India's first Mahouts Village inaugurated at Theppakadu

The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris district has a forest area of 681 square kilometres. This forest area is home to many wild animals, including elephants, tigers, leopards, bears, buffaloes, and deers.

The Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve was established during the British era. The British used it to capture wild elephants and transport trees in the area. Theppakadu Elephant Camp is the oldest elephant camp in Asia. This elephant camp currently has 27 elephants. Five of these, Bama Indira Anna Kamatchi Mudumalai, are retired elephants. The remaining 20 elephants are working as Kumki elephants, and the remaining two baby elephants are being cared for.

The elephants in this ancient elephant camp are used as Kumki elephants to repel wild elephants from entering villages in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. They are also used to catch man-killing elephants.

The Theppakadu Elephant Camp has 22 elephant units and 22 elephant cadres working as government employees in the forest department. They patrol the forest with Kumki elephants and repel wild elephants when they come to villages in many places.

The Irular Vettak Kurumbar Kurumbar Katunayakkar, who work as elephant units, have been doing this work for generations. They live in three villages in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp area.

Since there are no proper houses for elephant herders in the area, the Tamil Nadu government has constructed 44 houses at the Theppakari elephant camp through the Forest Department at a cost of Rs. 5.6 crore. These houses have drinking water facilities, toilets, and playgrounds for children. Each house has been named after elephants who died while working in Mudumalai.

No state has ever built houses for elephant herders in the elephant camps in India. This is the first time that 44 houses have been built for elephant herders in Mudumalai.

The elephant herders working in Theppakad said they have been working as elephant herders for generations and were living in houses that did not have facilities before. Now, they are very happy that houses with all the necessary facilities have been built for them.

The forest department is creating awareness among tourists about elephant care by allowing tourists to watch the elephants being fed at the Theppakadu elephant camp every morning and evening. Tourists are amazed and delighted to see the domesticated elephants.