How a rampaging tusker found a mate, a family, and a noble purpose at the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve.
Eleven years ago, the forest department captured a young, rampaging tusker as he was heading towards Rajnandgaon. Three years ago, he was relocated from Surguja to the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Chhattisgarh, specifically to the Sihawal area, to become the companion of a female elephant named Laali. He was named Raju, and in Laali, he found his lifelong mate. Today, this once-rogue tusker is a highly trained ‘Kumki’ elephant. This is his story. Together, Raju and Laali have since welcomed two calves, both males.
With the presence of this elephant pair, an elephant camp naturally took shape at the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve. Today, this camp in Sihawal is equipped with a solar-powered motor pump, three elephant sheds, and medical kits, and it serves as home to the families of the mahouts.
Raju is now a remarkably disciplined elephant who sets out on daily patrols to guard the forest, often accompanied by Laali. Patrolling a stretch of about 10 to 11 kilometers in the ATR, Raju is no less than a strict ‘Inspector’ to timber smugglers. Using his large ears to pick up the distant sounds of illegal woodcutting, he silently stalks the thieves step-by-step. Terrified by the sudden appearance of the giant tusker, the smugglers flee for their lives, abandoning their bicycles. Raju calmly picks up the bicycles with his trunk and hands them to his mahout. To date, he has confiscated and brought back more than a hundred bicycles!
Raju shoulders a lot of responsibility. During his patrols, he clears fallen trees blocking the forest roads and breaks off branches to bring fresh fodder back home for his family.
However, during his musth period, Raju becomes highly temperamental and allows absolutely no one near him except his trusted mahout, Shivmohan Rajwade. Beyond natural fodder, Raju and his family are treated to their favorite meals, carefully prepared with a balanced mix of various grains, oil, and jaggery. This special diet is provided to maintain their bond and domesticated status, as there is certainly no shortage of natural food in the jungle. Dr. P.K. Chandan regularly visits the camp to monitor the health and well-being of this elephant family.
Our hero, Raju, has now grown into a massive, fully mature tusker, perfectly trained as a Kumki elephant.
What is a Kumki Elephant?
Kumki elephants are large, exceptionally well-trained elephants that respond not only to vocal commands but also to the subtle physical cues of their mahout’s feet. This absolute silence is vital; when laying a trap or encircling a wild elephant or tiger, human voices can alert the target, allowing it to escape the perimeter. Thus, the mahout sitting atop the Kumki uses their feet behind the elephant’s ears to silently signal directions—right, left, stop, or bend down—ensuring the success of complex forest operations.
Visits from Wild Elephants
The once-troublesome Raju has successfully transformed into a reliable Kumki. In the meantime, four wild elephants two males and two females have also settled in the ATR. Elephants communicate over miles using low-frequency sounds that humans cannot hear. Occasionally, these wild elephants wander into the camp to visit. After a brief interaction, the mahouts and camp staff start making noise, prompting Raju to gently distance himself from his wild guests and bid them farewell.
Originally written in Hindi by Pran Chadha | Translated by the @rootsalert-news-desk
