Systematic domestication and rearing of pachyderms is not an easy task. On average, it takes around three months to school a wild elephant and for them to learn the essential 6 commands: sit, stand, walk, stop, turn and carry a 500lb BSA motorcycle on your back...

A mahout is an elephant driver - the word mahout comes from the Hindi words mahaut and mahavat, which are derivatives of the Sanskrit word mahamatra: "[one] having great measure."

Sanskrit language distinguishes three types of mahout: Reghawaan, one who controls elephants through love, friendship and understanding, Yuktimaan, those who use ingenuity in outsmarting this highly intelligent beast and Balwaan, those who control elephants with brute force and harsh words and frequently ends up being attacked by the anguished animal.

The job is described in detail in the on-line Mahout manual.

The Elephants of India are an integral part of the daily life there and a part of their cultural obsession. They are groomed and reverd and given a prestigious place in the country's culture. Although there are still a few individual owners, most elephants today are reared by temples.



If you would like to learn how to become a Mahout and train an Elephant to carry your motorcycle across rivers, an elephant driver training school has opened recently in India's southern Kerala state, to make up the shortfall in this rather esoteric guild. Launched by the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Hindu temple, some 70km (44 miles) from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram that has a stable of 64 revered elephants, the two-year curriculum at the mahout training school features theory and practical courses on animal health for some 30 novitiates.

If you don't have two years to spare, but would still like to try your hand at it, The Thai Elephant Conservation Center offers a multi-day mahout training course for about $125 (includes accommodation for 2 nights, 5 meals and all instruction). Tourists live at the center for 3 days and learn about elephants and elephant training, the elephant/mahout relationship and general elephant/mahout life.

Check it out, here.


 back to top