NCEIV41 0-0811 Flashcards
Lesson 41
Lesson 41 Training elephants
Two main techni
Two main techniques have been used for training elephants, which we may respectively the tough and the gentle.
The former meth
The former method simply consists of setting an elephant to work and beating him until he does what is expected of him.
Apart from mora
Apart from moral considerations this is a stupid method of training, for it produces a resentful animal who at a later stage may well turn man-killer.
The gentle meth
The gentle method requires more patience in the early stages, but produces a cheerful, good-tempered elephant who will give many years of loyal service.
The first essen
The first essential in elephant training is to assign to the animal a single mahout who will be entirely responsible for the job.
Elephants like
Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do, and are capable of a considerable degree of personal affection.
There are even
There are even stories of half-trained elephant calves who have refused to feed and pined to death when by some unavoidable circumstance they have been deprived of their own trainer.
Such extreme ca
Such extreme cases must probably be taken with a grain of salt, but they do underline the general principle that the relationship between elephant and mahout is the key to successful training.
The most econom
The most economical age to capture an elephant for training is between fifteen and twenty years, for it is then almost ready to undertake heavy work and can begin to earn its keep straight away.
But animals of
But animals of this age do not easily become subservient to man, and a very time man, and a very firm hand must be employed in the early stages.
The captive ele
The captive elephant, still roped to a tree, plunges and screams every time a man approaches, and for several days will probably refuse all food through anger and fear.
Sometimes a tam
Sometimes a tame elephant is tethered nearby to give the wild one confidence, and in most cases the captive gradually quietens down and begins to accept its food.
The next stage
The next stage is to get the elephant to the training establishment, a ticklish business which is achieved with the aid of two tame elephants roped to the captive on either side.
When several el
When several elephants are being trained at one time, it is customary for the new arrival to be placed between the stalls of two captives whose training is already well advanced.
