Each year between the months of September and October, there is a Nadahabba or State Festival called Mysuru Dasara in Mysore, Karnataka, India. This 10-day festival dates back to the 15th century and is a Hindu celebration of the “victory of good over evil”. As part of tradition, an elephant procession occurs on the last day of the festival along with a parade of camels and horses.
In lieu of the normal Mysuru Dasara festivities in 2020 (which were significantly reduced by concerns over spread of COVID-19), with AES support our partner Dr. Mamatha Sathyanarayana along with the Karnataka Forest Department took the opportunity to produce and deliver a series of online courses aimed at elephant education called the Mysuru Dasara Aanegalu.
Dr. Sathyanarayana (center) with a crew to film a presentation by a mahout
According to a 2019 survey, 22% of India’s population of Asian elephants live in the state of Karnataka and developing an awareness about the history of elephants in the region, teaching about the practical, ethical and best methods to train and care for elephants, as well as working on ways to control the rate of Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) are of great importance in the region.
Historically, 12 to 13 of the most highly-trained elephants living in regional elephant camps are selected to participate in the celebrations and the elephants and mahouts caring for these elephants were invited to share their skills and training practices with the students attending the program this year. The sharing of their knowledge as skilled and experienced mahouts is an important bridge to aid the students in developing an appreciation and understanding of elephants and elephant care in an area where Human-Elephant Conflict is a concern.
Aside from the next generation learning about the modern, humane techniques that mahouts are using to care for elephants, this 10-day series was also an important avenue for mahouts to enhance their teaching and communication skills. A win-win situation for everyone involved.
AES is proud to be a part of educational events that promote a peaceful coexistence with wildlife in all regions of Asia and develop the next generation of elephant caretakers and conservationists.
While concerns surrounding COVID-19 are still top of mind in India, we hope that a return to normal activities can resume soon. We are thankful to be able to be a part of programs such as this that continue to aid in preserving the knowledge and hands-on work it takes to care for elephants and the history and importance of elephants in Indian culture.
Top photo courtesy of karnatakatourism.org