Context: The Odisha government urgently requests the deployment of kumki elephants from Tamil Nadu to strategically manage and guide wild elephants.
About Kumki Elephants:
- Kumki is a term used in India for trained captive Asian elephants used in operations to trap wild elephants, sometimes to rescue or to provide medical treatment to an injured or trapped wild elephant.
- Elephant calves that are separated from the herd in the forest and captured wild elephants are tamed and trained to become kumki elephants. The training period is of three years.
- Kumkis are used for capturing, calming and herding wild elephants or to lead wild elephants away in conflict situations.