Two mahouts from Assam's Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve have earned international recognition, becoming certified 'Master Mahouts' — a distinction that qualifies them to train elephant handlers in countries around the world, senior forest officials confirmed on Thursday, 1 October 2026. The achievement marks a milestone for the Assam Forest Department and for the broader community of mahouts and khasis engaged in wildlife conservation.

A Historic Recognition for Manas

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Additional PCCF) and Council Head of Department of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Sonali Ghosh, said the certification represented a landmark for the reserve and its frontline staff. 'Their expertise and experience from Manas will now contribute to international capacity-building in elephant care, management and welfare,' Ghosh said. The recognition was formally announced at the closing ceremony of a seven-day Comprehensive Training Programme for Mahouts and Khasis, held at Bansbari from 24 September to 1 October 2026.

The Training Programme and Certifications

The programme was organised by the Field Directorate of Manas Tiger Reserve in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). It was conducted by Padma Shri awardee Parbati Barua, retired Divisional Conservator of Forests Bhupendra Nath Talukdar, and WTI Chief Veterinary Officer Bhaskar Choudhury. A total of 27 staff members from Manas Tiger Reserve — including three participants from Odisha — attended the sessions, which combined theoretical instruction and practical exercises covering elephant health, welfare, handling, and training techniques.

Certificates and badges were presented specifically to Ramanuj Barla and Md. Alam Ali, who completed specialised training in handling captive-born elephant calves using animal cognition and positive reinforcement methods under the Human Elephant Learning Programs, Advancing Elephant Welfare (H-ELP) Foundation in Australia. Ghosh, who also serves as Field Director of Manas Tiger Reserve, described it as the first comprehensive training of its kind ever conducted at Manas.

Next Stop: Thailand

Barla and Ali are set to travel to the Chiang Mai Elephant Conservation Centre in Thailand for a further specialised training programme scheduled from 29 October to 2 November 2026. Their international exposure is expected to deepen their skills in modern, science-based elephant management — knowledge they will eventually carry back to train handlers elsewhere.

Bodoland Territorial Council Executive Member for Forest and Wildlife, James Basumatary, said, 'It is a proud moment for all of us that two of our mahouts from Manas have brought glory to the Forest Department and the state at the international level.'

Why This Matters for Conservation

Ghosh underscored that hands-on expertise in elephant handling remains irreplaceable in wildlife conservation work, noting that it required specialised skills, meaningful interaction, and the sustained building of trust between humans and animals. The achievement, she said, highlighted the growing recognition of traditional knowledge combined with modern, science-based approaches to elephant management.

Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, situated in the Eastern Himalayan foothills along the Bhutan border, carries an exceptional conservation profile — it is Northeast India's first tiger reserve (established 1973), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Biosphere Reserve, an Elephant Reserve, an Important Bird Area, and a Key Biodiversity Area. The reserve shelters tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses, wild buffaloes, golden langurs, pygmy hogs, hispid hares, and Bengal floricans, along with more than 550 bird species. The elevation of frontline mahouts to international trainer status sets a precedent that could reshape how India exports wildlife-management expertise going forward.