I had a visit to one among the two famous elephant training centers of Kerala recently. Its situated in a village named Konni, in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. Kerala has mainly two elephant training camps, one is in Kodanadu, and another is here in Konnni. Elephants which are found separated from their herds or those which are found wounded and left alone are bought here in these centers and rehabilitated.
One of the sweetest experience we had here in Konni elephant camp was this elephant calf/baby elephant, which is somewhat dancing and waving at the visitors around. Same time he was having the straws and grass. Something interesting to watch was the way this baby elephant cleans the grass straws by beating and scratching up here and there before it was placed into his mouth. Questions remained, are these animals in captivity so happy to see the visitors around them!. I felt exploring more about it online and found some facts.
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Elephant Named Krishan of Konni Elephant Camp in Kerala. This elephant calf is about 3 years old and is bought from Palode in Trivandrum, Kerala. Do you know usually Elephants gives birth in nights, only around 1 percent of births happens during the daytime. Baby elephants are born with Dark or brown curly hair.
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A Few Baby Elephant Facts
African baby elephants weights about 116 to 140 kg on birth and can be a meter tall, whereas Asian Elephant calves weights about 100 Kgs and around 85 Cms in height on birth. Male Baby elephants stay with its mother up to 14 years whereas female elephants stay for a lifetime with its mother in its natural habitat. During the early months, they won't be knowing how to use the trunks and starts learning its usages around 8 months to one year. Nearly 140 Kgs, that is an adult elephants daily food intake.From 3 years of age, baby elephants start eating grass and other plants, until then they feed on their mother elephants milk. Its said that until the age of 10 baby elephants or calves also feeds on its mother's milk along with other plants and grass. An elephant baby can drink about 3 gallons of milk from its mother elephant daily.
Took a video as it was cute and interesting to see his movements, swaying and waving its trunk, can't say wrong if we feel this elephant baby is dancing with joy, seeing the visitors around him yelling his name Krishna. But these actions are basically symbols of distress in the animal, as he is kept captive in an unnatural habitat. Elephants are meant to stay in its heard and roam all day, eating as they move from forest to grasslands to rivers. Normal elephant heard are meant to walk daily and covers miles in its search for food and water.
Elephants are known to eat more than 20 hrs a day. Once in captivity these animals will start lacking the interaction it should get from its heard and also the kind of movement its supposed to get naturally. Elephants are highly social animals and they are meant to remain so in the forest with its own heard.
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| Krishna the baby elephant of Konni Elephant Training Camp, Kerala. |
In Konni elephant camp mainly Baby elephants are bought in and trained systematically. They are given exercises by making them walk around in the mornings and are given special diets as per needs. Here in this camp visitors can watch the elephants and observe its behaviors very close. Elephant Safaris are also available here for the visitors. Its worth a visit. This training center is also a part of the eco-tourism projects in Kerala.
Interesting info, enjoyed reading this post.
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