Orissa Elephants Go to TN for Kumki Training

Personnel from Chandaka wildlife sanctuary in Bhubaneswar are scheduled to travel to Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu, for advanced Kumki training. This specialized instruction will equip handlers with enhanced skills to manage Kumki elephants, vital for taming erratic elephants and assisting in wildlife monitoring.

The training is deemed essential for managing increasing tiger populations and for tracking dispersing big cats. Kumki elephants and their handlers are also key to mitigating human-elephant conflicts, a growing concern in recent years. The wildlife headquarters has formally requested this training from the Tamil Nadu wildlife wing.

Officials have also reached out to Karnataka for Kumki elephants, highlighting the ongoing need for trained personnel and animals to support wildlife management efforts. The state anticipates that once the initial four handlers are trained, they will be instrumental in training others within the department.