Mahout

This article is about the handler of a working elephant. For further meanings, see Mahut (disambiguation) , and for the former French automobile manufacturer, see Mahout (automobile manufacturer) .

Three elephants with mahout in Corbett National Park in India

Lakshmana temple in the temple district of Khajuraho - elephant frieze with an erotic scene. The elephant on the right is so irritated by the hustle and bustle ( brahmin and girl) at his side that he has thrown one of his keepers ( mahut ) with his trunk and threatens to crush him with his raised foot. It remains to be seen whether the scene is merely entertaining or was intended to be instructive or warning.

A mahout (also: mahout) is the leader and often the owner of a working elephant . He is responsible for its nutrition and care and has been associated with the animal for decades. A mahout rides on the elephant's neck and directs it by means of verbal commands, his elephant staff and the pressure that he exerts on the animal with his feet and legs.

The name Mahut comes from the Hindi mahaut ( महौत ) or mahāvat ( महावत ), which goes back to Sanskrit mahāmātra ( महामात्र ) ("of great measure"). Other terms include Sanskrit hastipaka ( हस्तिपक ), Burmese chaṅ-ūḥcīḥ or "oozie" ( ဆင္ ဦး စီး ), Thai khwan chang ( ควาญ ช้าง ) or Kornak (borrowed from Sanskrit karināyaka , elephant guide).

Like the working elephant, mahouts are found in India and back India (such as Myanmar and Thailand ). For example, elephants are often still used there for forest work because, in contrast to tractors and caterpillars, they are more mobile in the field and do not depend on the construction of roads . When working in the forest, elephants cause far less environmental damage than machines. In addition, elephant keeping has ceremonial and tourist reasons.

Mahut and Elefant have worked together for decades as far as possible. The necessary trusting relationship develops while working together in the elephant school .

In 2003 there were still around 2,000 mahouts in Thailand who work with their elephants in the impassable forest areas in northern Thailand .

See also

• Chandani and her elephant (documentary about the first female mahout in Sri Lanka)
• Thai Elephant Orchestra

Web links

• Practical Elephant Management: A Handbook for Mahouts (1997): English-language textbook for mahouts, edited by the zoologist Nibha Namboodiri, the first female mahout in India
• Fred Kurt : History and biology of traditional elephant management (2005; PDF; 1.2 MB): trapping methods, training, keeping (including with commands that are common in different areas and statistical material)