Usually, elephants present their right hind leg for their mahouts to climb up and down. But theywould do so only after the mahouts have spent enough time with them to establish a reasonable degree of control.

Shihad (42) and Hamid (63), forty five year old Unnikuttan’s first and second mahouts have been with him for only about three months, not enough time to bond with the elephant to truly feel comfortable if his right hind leg is left unchained. So, Hamid, the second mahout, has to climb down by making Unnikuttan lower his left hind leg, a difficult and uncomfortable position for the elephant. Shihad, the first mascot, stands below and commands the elephant to do so. It is a popular misconception that a trained elephant is more obedient to the mahout sitting on it; on the contrary it is the mahout standing below that has more commanding power over the elephant.

When a mahout is replaced, there is a process by which the control is handed over to the new mahout. With the old mahout standing at a safe distance, the new mahout attempts to make the elephant lie, first to its right and then to its left. After this a rope is thrown around its neck, asserting the control of the new mahout.

From the series HOME. Taken from Pannoor, Thodupuzha