Thiruvanathapuram, October 9, 2014: Boosting welfare efforts of captive elephants, the city today saw the launch of renowned elephant trainer Dr Andrew McLean’s book ‘Hasthisiksha – a manual on humane training of elephants calves destined for permanent captivity’, which has been produced in collaboration with Wildlife Trust of India.

“The beauty of this manual by Andrew McLean, HELP and WTI is that it is simple yet based on sound scientific principles of welfare based training; it is based itself on traditional practices and is yet futuristic in its ambit; and most importantly has been tried and tested now in Nepal, Assam and Kerala,” said Vivek Menon, Executive Director of Wildlife Trust of India.

Hon. Minister Thiruvanchoor Radha Krishnan releasing the book to Shri G Harikumar. Photo: WTI

The book was launched at this propitious occasion by Chief Guest Hon. Minister Thiruvanchoor Radha Krishnan (Forest & Environment, Sports, Film & Transport) with the PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden Shri G Harikumar receiving the manual. The Hon’ble Minister also felicitated Dr Andrew McLean and Dr Jacob V Cheeran, a veteran in the field of managing captive elephants. The latter retired as a Professor of the veterinary college of Trichur and is still working in the field of captive elephant welfare in association with multiple organisations. Officials from the Kerala Forest Department, including OP Kaler, APCCF, were also present for the event.

Dr Andrew McLean, who is the winner of the highest Australian Science Award, the Eureka Prize for Science and is also the Vice President of HELP, remarked on his manual and workshops saying, “The scientific methods being taught are quite different from the traditional ways. Most elephant training systems in the world concentrate on submission. In methods taught by me positive reinforcements and negative reinforcements are emphasised with attention on habituating the elephant to its mahout and surroundings in the least intrusive way. The end goal is to establish a clear chain of understanding between the mahout and the elephant and we do not condone punishments as a way to do the same.”

Cover of the manual released today. 

Dr Andrew McLean has been conducting workshops on training captive elephants in India since 2010 in the states of Kerala and Assam, in collaboration with WTI. The last training was conducted in December 2013 in Kerala and a refresher course will be held for the mahouts from October 10-12, 2014 at the Koottoor Elephant Rehabilitation Centre in Agasthyavanam Biological Park, Thiruvanathapuram. A three-day refresher course will also be held for the mahouts in the Bansbari Range of Manas National Park, Assam from October 14-16, 2014.

“The way humans trained horses changed for the good long back, and it is time we infuse science into training elephants as well. Scientific methods not only produce faster results but are also humane,” said Dr Ashraf, Chief Veterinary Officer of Wildlife Trust of India.

Chief Guest Hon. Minister Thiruvanchoor Radha Krishnan (Forest & Environment, Sports, Film & Transport)
Photo: WTI