At Theppakadu Elephant Camp in Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, the day begins with a meal prepared by hand for some of the forest’s largest residents.
Mahouts mix ragi, rice, jaggery, coconut, salt, and mineral supplements into large balls of food. They choose the ingredients to give the elephants energy and nutrients before they head out into the forest.
Theppakadu is among India’s oldest elephant camps. Established in 1910 on the banks of the Moyar River, the camp has been closely associated with elephant care and forest management for more than a century.
What goes into an elephant’s breakfast
The morning meal is part of the elephants’ supplementary diet. They also spend time in the forest feeding on grasses, leaves, branches, and other available vegetation.
A study on the management of captive elephants in Tamil Nadu records several ingredients used at Theppakadu, including rice, ragi, horse gram, jaggery, coconut, sugarcane, salt and mineral mixture. The food helps supplement what the animals consume while foraging.
Much of the knowledge involved in caring for these elephants has been built through years of close observation. Mahouts learn the animals’ routines, behaviour and individual needs, forming bonds that are central to everyday care.
The camp also has a role in conservation. Some elephants are trained as kumkis, which are used by forest officials during rescue operations and in efforts to manage situations involving wild elephants.
Once breakfast is over, the elephants leave the camp and return to the forest to forage. After their meal, they spend hours moving through their familiar surroundings and feeding on what the landscape provides.
It is a simple morning routine, but one that reflects the relationship between the elephants, their mahouts, and the forest around them. At Theppakadu, generations of knowledge continue to influence the way these animals are cared for each day.
Video courtesy: IAS Supriya Sahu
