Indian state honors ‘elephant whisperers' from Oscar-winning documentary with special village

Arab News

17-05-2025

NEW DELHI: India's elephant caretakers in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, whose roles were brought to global attention in an Oscar-winning documentary, were honored with a special village by the local government as part of an effort to recognize their dedication to the conservation of the mammals.
The story of a mahout couple in Tamil Nadu who devote themselves to caring for an orphaned baby elephant was central to 'The Elephant Whisperers' film, which became the first Indian documentary to win an Oscar in 2023.
Since the documentary brought the role of the mahouts — a Hindi word for elephant caretakers — to the international spotlight, the Tamil Nadu government has been working to further empower and honor them.
On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the Mahout Village at the state's Theppakadu Elephant Camp. Dubbed the first of its kind, the special area comprises 44 houses for each of the mammals' keepers and their families.
'The film 'The Elephant Whisperers' played an important part in building the houses for mahouts, there is no doubt about it,' Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary for environment, climate change and forests in Tamil Nadu, told Arab News.
'We will make sure that the people, the indigenous community who take care of our elephants, are also suitably taken care of. That is the idea behind (this program). It's a tribute to them.'
Built at a cost of about $670,000, the houses at Mahout Village use solar lights and fences, and were constructed in consultation with the mahouts. The area also comes with communal facilities, including a basketball court and a kids' playground.
Mahouts have long been integral in wildlife conservation across many South and Southeast Asian countries.
India is home to some 30,000 Asian elephants, representing at least 60 percent of the species' global population. Tamil Nadu itself is home to about 3,100 elephants.
With the buzz around 'The Elephant Whisperers' following its Oscar win, Bomman and Bellie, the couple from the Kattunayakan tribal group who were featured in the film, had urged the government to consider building houses for the mahouts.
'One good thing that has happened is the documentary brought attention to the indigenous people who have been taking care of elephants for generations,' Bomman told Arab News.
'The houses are really a recognition for those who have been taking care of elephants and helped in the preservation of nature.'
For C. Maari, a 52-year-old mahout, the Oscar-winning documentary helped show the possibility of human-wildlife coexistence.
'The documentary no doubt highlighted our issues and the world outside came to know that humans and animals understand each other, and can coexist together if we don't intrude in each others' space,' Maari told Arab News.
He is hopeful that the new housing will help his community better take care of the elephants.
'I am really happy that I got the house. Earlier, we used to live in a hut without any facilities inside the jungle. We used to struggle for basic amenities, like toilets and other facilities,' he said.
'For generations, we have been friends with elephants and we understand their needs. Both of us have been surviving together for generations and the houses are the recognition of our contribution in maintaining the animal world.'