1. A Different Approach Towards Elephant Training:
Tiwari, U.P.1 Mclean Andrew2
1. B.V.Sc.&A.H, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Tribhuvan University
2. PhD. Chairman of Directors, The HELP foundations ltd.
1. Introduction :
Elephants form a large part of Nepalese economy, yet the death and injury rate as a result of
traditional training is unacceptably high. These giant animals can be as much as 3.5 metres tall
(over 11 feet) and weigh 3.5 tonnes. Elephants are extremely intelligent animals that display
complex behaviors and have a very high capacity for learning. Therefore, it is important to
incorporate challenging and extensive training sessions when managing them. Training
enhances the elephants‟ well being by providing both physical and mental stimulation. It is the
most important component of a successful elephant management program. Training also aids
and enhances routine management and care by helping the animals become relaxed with critical
aspects of management such as medical procedures. One of the most important benefits of a solid
training program is that it provides safety for the animals and for the staff who care for them on a
daily basis. They have excellent memories, and when the males come into season (called
„musth'), testosterone levels soar to 20 times normal. And they don't forget their torment!
1.1 Traditional Method Of Elephant Training :
Traditionally on reaching two years of age, young elephants are separated from its mother for
few days. It cries and laments in agony of separation and becomes desperate. Two men each on
two elephants with fifth men on the distressed calf go for long rides- the calf is made to run, go
up, come down, jump and do all sorts of activities as commanded by the rider. When the calf is
tired and desperate, then the real training starts with the mahout teaching the language with the
help of bamboo sticks hurting the back of the ears and shoulders. In the process the baby
elephant gets angry and tries to throw away the rider. Sometimes the trainer gets hurt, ends up
with broken neck and fractured limbs. The trainee elephant is tethered in between the two other
elephants with the help of strong rope while it learns to respond to the basic commands of
moving forwards, backwards, to the left and right, sitting, standing, stopping and grabbing. After
two weeks the elephant learns to be ridden by the trainer without assistance of other elephants.
Traditionally it was believed that success in training comes from dominance hence the animals
are subjected to repeated inescapable pain, they are tethered, imprisoned or trapped, (punishment
with the ankus whilst ridden falls into this category) they learn that they do not have control over
their environment.
1.2 Positive Learning Method :
In this training method, the trainer avoids inflicting any pain or arousing any fear to the elephant.
Training elephant in this way makes the training sessions a pleasant experience for both the
trainers and the elephant. The other benefit are fast learning- in this way elephants learn the
tasks faster than with any other training method- as well as increased reliability and safety of
elephants at work. Elephant trained in this way will have less behavior problem and will be more
obedient. This method is more humane then the traditional training and it will avoid the risks of
mahouts being killed by the elephants.
2. Objectives

2. To provide resources and expertise to enable humane, evidence-based training methods for
captive elephants.
To encourage ethical, sustainable relationships between elephants and humans by providing
educational programmes on the biological needs of elephants.
To improve the safety of elephants trainers and handlers by sharing knowledge of evidence
based training methods.
To enhance the capacity of agencies and authorities to manage elephants in a way that
recognises their unique ethological and cognitive needs and capabilities.
Providing information on sustainable methods of elephant training.
3. Materials and Methods
3.1 Study Site:
 The study was conducted during the summer season in the buffer zone area of the
Chitwan National Park, within the vicinity of Sauraha, located in the Chitwan District of
Nepal.
3.2 Study Population :
Five baby male elephants above two and below nine were selected, whose names were Lal Gaj,
Himal Gaj, Nepal Gaj, Ram and laxman
3.3 Training sessions
Each session was conducted for 10 minutes with each elephants twice in the morning and twice
in the evening.
3.4 Principle Used :
Combination of two scientific approaches was used to train the animal
1. Positive reinforcement (rewarding the Elephant for Correct action) and
2. Pressure release (guiding the elephant with as little force as possible and releasing the
pressure immediately when the elephant performs the correct action). As soon as the
elephant performs the right action, it should be rewarded with kuchis – food packages for
elephants.
One of the benefits of positive learning method is that it promotes elephants willingness to co
operate with people.
3.5 Procedure
3.5.1 Go forward

3. The Command used was “Agat” and light Pressure was applied behind the ear of elephant, This
is
where mahouts use their toes for forward responses. The principle was any action on their part
that caused the pressures to go away, the animal repeats the reaction that worked. Elephant learns
that tactile vibrations behind its ears disappear when it goes forward, it learns to go forward each
time these stimuli occur, and thus the animal feels secure in the implicit knowledge that it has the
control to diminish its irritations. Security is the antithesis of aggression. WE stopped the
pressures when the animal gave the correct response. Food was used for motivation. The
principle was if the animal learns that a certain reaction causes the delivery of food, it will repeat
that action. When the animal performs the task that was given to it it was caressed by giving the
command “Syabash” and rubbing hand over its head, they were not patted.
3.5.2 Pick up things :
Here the task was broken down into related steps, where each step leads to the next and is
rewarded and consolidated by repetitions. The command used was “utha”. The elephant was
rewarded with a morsel of its favourite food for sniffing near the stick with its trunk which lies
on the ground, and when this act was repeated by the elephant, the task was now modified to the
next step, that is, now the elephant was rewarded only for touching the stick and so forth. By this
time the elephant was very keen on interacting with the coin and soon was rewarded only for
picking it up. Then it was rewarded each time the stick was brought closer to the us. This
successive process of approximating toward a goal is called shaping, which is a vital tool in
training.
3.5.3 Sit Down and Sleep
Pressure was applied underneath of fore limb at the joining point of scapula and humerus.
Pressure was released first time when it just bent its knees and rewarded with food. The task was
then modified to next step that is it has to bent its knees more to sit and then finaly sleep. The
command used to make animal sit was “Baith” and to sleep was “Sut”.
3.5.4 Go back
The command used to make the animal go back was “Pachu Hat”. Pressure was applied with a
stick in front of forelimb.
3.5.5. Making trunk calm
The trunk was scrubed and the elephant was awarded for letting the trunk relaxed and becoming
calm.
4. Results and Discussion :
1. Lal Gaj was the one who progressed alot. It started obeying all the commands that was given
to him. We didn‟t needed to apply any pressure, it was habituated to obey the commands.

4. 2. Laxman was the one which didn‟t improved to what was expected. The reason was Binod the
Mahout was interested to work with Ram, the twin brother of Laxman, as Ram was very Calm
and Laxman was the aggressor. The training period was just 20 days, and even in that period we
didn‟t got much time to work with him.
3. Ram was very comfortable to move forward and backward just by hearing the command. He
was best of all in picking up and lifting the stick with trunk very easily. Still he had some
problems with sitting. Even at the end of training session we had to apply pressure to make him
sit down.
4. Himal gaj was best in allowing the mahout to ride on it. We succeeded in making him move
forward and backward but he is still not comfortable picking up the sticks, not even grabbing it.
5. Nepal gaj was the one who allowed to scrub the trunk and still was very calm
4. Conclusion
Using pressure-release and food morsels to motivate, reward and shape desirable responses and
then installing voice commands by association was the basis of the training system. With many
repetitions the elephant learnt to do what was asked of it by force of habit. Animals were happy
and secure as a result of an accumulation of solid habits as these give the important benefits of
security, controllability and predictability. Don‟t ever think that this method takes long time,
because once begun, results come surprisingly quickly because the elephant is motivated – he is
on your side. You might say he is now a willing partner.
References :
Mclean, Andrew.,The Plight of Working Elephant, Horses and People, Pg.35
Desmond, T., Laule, G. 1991. Protected contact elephant training. Proceedings of the American
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Kirkwood,J., Kichenside, C., James, W. 1989. Training zoo animals. Proceedings of Animal Training
Symposium: A Review and Commentary on Current Practices, 93-99. Universities Federation for
Animal Welfare, Cambridge, UK.
Krieger, K. 1989. The lighter side of training. Proceedings of the International Marine Animal
Trainers Association Annual Conference, 138-142. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.