In Frames | Elephant tales

As the National Wildlife Week celebrated from October 2-8 draws to a close, explore the Theppakadu elephant camp — one of the oldest such facilities in Asia

Established in 1923, the Theppakadu elephant camp offers shelter to 24 elephants that are trained, bathed, and fed within the premises. The camp, on the bank of the Moyar, is one of the oldest in Asia.

This camp is home to captive elephants and also serves as a rehabilitation centre for the pachyderms. Both rescued elephants and those that were captured after human-animal conflict live in the camp.

Mahouts are responsible for their training and care. The key aspect of their role, however, is to be emotionally supportive of their charges. Many of the elephants come here stressed after having encountered some kind of violence.

The camp has a dedicated team of veterinary doctors and assistants. Recently, mahout couple Bomman and Bellie earned accolades for their role in the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers.

Some of the elephants here are also used to control wild elephants that get separated from the herd and enter human settlements.

The camp is a prominent tourist destination in Tamil Nadu. Visitors to the camp will get the opportunity to see the gentle giants being bathed and fed. Most important, the camp educates visitors about the importance of conservation of elephants. People can also visit the nearby Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary.