IWN Report — Friday, 2 October 2026
Twenty-seven mahouts and ghasis from Manas National Park have finished a week of training in elephant biology, health and handling, run by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) with the Manas Tiger Reserve Authority, and the reserve’s field director used the opening to call again for a dedicated mahout school in Assam.
According to WTI, the course ran from 24 to 30 September at the Basbari Range, with participants drawn from all three of the park’s ranges. The field director of Manas Tiger Reserve, who also heads forest and environment for the Bodoland Territorial Council, opened the programme by stressing the value of a skilled and motivated workforce for managing elephants, and said regular refresher training should follow.
The syllabus ran from how elephants are built and how they work, covering anatomy, dentition and physiology, through to nutrition and captive feeding, stable design and management, bathing techniques, reproductive health and musth. Sessions also dealt with workload, working hours and terrain, the care and harnessing of gear, early warning signs of disease, and safety procedures for work in the field.
WTI also reports that two of the participants have been recognised as Master Mahouts after specialised training through the H-ELP Foundation, Australia, and are due to take further training in Thailand from 29 October to 2 November 2026.