Kaziranga Mahouts Attend Elephant Training Workshop in Thailand
In a groundbreaking event, two mahouts from Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve, Kasim Ali and Sanjeev Pegu, traveled internationally to attend the ‘Gentle Training Workshop’ at the National Elephant Institute in Lampang, Thailand, from November 6-8.
Workshop Details
The workshop was organized by the Human-Elephant Learning Programs Foundation (H-ELP) and focused on improving captive elephant welfare through positive reinforcement techniques. This method involves adding stimuli to encourage desired behaviors, contrasting traditional methods that focus on correcting unwanted behaviors.
Key Trainers
Trainers included Andrew McLean and Portland Jones from H-ELP, and Bhaskar Choudhury from the Wildlife Trust of India. They demonstrated verbal and signal training sequences and desensitization techniques to help elephants cope with potentially painful or fearful experiences.
Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park, highlighted the importance of these techniques in reducing stress, pain, and fear in elephants, thereby fostering a better relationship between elephants and their caregivers.
Doubts Revealed
Kaziranga National Park -: Kaziranga National Park is a famous wildlife sanctuary in India, located in the state of Assam. It is known for its large population of Indian one-horned rhinoceroses.
Mahouts -: Mahouts are people who work with and take care of elephants. They often form a close bond with the elephants they look after.
Thailand -: Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia, known for its beautiful beaches, temples, and rich culture. It is also home to many elephants.
Positive reinforcement -: Positive reinforcement is a training method where good behavior is rewarded to encourage it to happen again. For example, giving an elephant a treat when it follows a command.
Human-Elephant Learning Programs Foundation -: This is an organization that works to improve the relationship between humans and elephants. They focus on training methods that are kind and effective.
Andrew McLean and Portland Jones -: Andrew McLean and Portland Jones are experts in animal training. They teach people how to train animals using gentle and scientific methods.
