A mahout is a person who drives and cares for elephants. This is primarily a male-dominated profession, and traditionally, a mahout had to be born into the family business. Even if you are not a mahout’s descendant, there are now programs and camps available to train you in the role. If you want to become a mahout, you’ll probably need to go to one of these camps to learn the trade properly.
The word “mahout” has Hindu origins. A mahout was primarily responsible for driving an Asian elephant to transport materials such as lumber for construction and other purposes in India, Thailand, and the surrounding regions. In most cases, a mahout had to be born into the position, which was then passed down from father to son. At a young age, a male child was assigned a specific elephant, which became his primary elephant as a mahout for the rest of his life.
Because Asian elephants were considered privately owned livestock, there was little regulation regarding the animals’ care and treatment. As a result, elephants were frequently abused or neglected. As a result, many projects and programs have sprung up to protect elephants and train anyone interested in becoming a mahout in proper elephant handling and care.
In most cases, becoming a mahout necessitates an apprenticeship with an experienced elephant driver. During the apprenticeship, you will most likely learn how to control your elephant with verbal commands. You’ll also learn how to properly mount and dismount the elephant, as well as how to neck-ride, a tricky technique that involves placing your foot against the elephant’s neck and ears to control it.
You will be taught how to properly feed, clean, and care for your elephant during your mahout training. You should become familiar with the various characteristics of Asian elephants, such as the signs of illness and their social interaction methods, as part of this aspect of your training. Understanding the various elephant behaviors will undoubtedly assist you in mastering the trade. Most likely, you’ll learn about the plight of Asian elephants and the abuses they’ve endured at the hands of callous mahouts. In this way, the people in charge of the programs and training camps hope to prevent future atrocities.
In Indian and Thai cultures, the elephant has a great deal of spiritual significance. As a result, new mahouts are frequently greeted with a religious ceremony. This ceremony, also known as the Pa-kam ritual, is intended to invoke the mahout spirit fathers’ blessings of protection, safety, and happiness. Both the spirit fathers and the new mahout are usually given offerings and gifts.
The position of mahout is also known as an oozie or kwan-chang depending on which country you train in. You should also learn how to use the traditional tools of the trade, which include a large hook known as an ankus or thotti, as well as long and short poles known as a valiya kol and a cheru kol. Of course, you must not be afraid of the elephant, as elephants, like many other animals, can detect fear. Finally, if you want to be a successful mahout, you should be willing to relocate to a region where the occupation is still popular, such as Thailand, Burma, or India.