Tamil Nadu builds more Mahout Villages to help take care of elephants

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has established its second Mahout Village at Kozhikamuthi Elephant Camp in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) after the first at Theppakadu in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The project aims to improve living standards of mahouts and cavadies and enhance the relationship between the elephant handlers and the animals they keep.

Concept of Mahout Villages

Greater Mahout Villages- Residential colonies especially designed to house the elephant handlers and assistants. The first, which opened in May 2025 in Theppakadu, comprised 44 modern dwellings with basic facilities - the first project of its kind in India.

Kozhikamuthi Mahout Village.

New village houses 47 mahouts and cavadies of the Malasar tribe, who operate more than 20 elephants in ATR. It is situated in the Ulandy forest range within Top Slip and has visitor galleries and environmentally friendly landscaping to increase awareness of elephant welfare.

Role of Mahouts and Cavadies

The mahouts and cavadies are incredibly essential in looking after the elephants held captives. They feed, bathe, guide on patrols, and help retrieve in rescue missions. A good number of them belong to tribal families who have generations of experience in the handling of elephants.

Plants and infrastructure.

Both Mahout Villages offer lodging services including drinking water, sanitation and recreation facilities. Each of the houses at Theppakadu is named after an elephant that was previously contained within the camp as a sign of respect to their history. The program provides sustainable and respectable lives to elephant handlers.

Elephant Camps and Functions.

• Theppakadu Elephant Camp - the oldest in Asia with 27 elephants, including Kumki elephants that are used in rescue missions, and to control conflict situations.
• Kozhikamuthi Camp - Residence of the captive elephants that fulfilled the same purposes in the ATR.

Conservation and Community Impact.

Tamil Nadu is also improving the welfare and conservation of the elephant by improving the living standards of the mahouts. The villages promote eco-tourism and informal education and want people to appreciate the cultural and ecological significance of human-elephant coexistence.