Kumki (elephant)

Kumki and mahout near bamboo thicket at Moyer River, Mudumalai National Park, India

Kumki is the Tamil name for captive, trained Indian elephants.^[1] These are used mostly for taming and training of newly captured wild elephants and also to lead away wild elephants that stray into human settlements. They are also used for the purpose of breeding.

Kumkis are not the same elephants widely found in Indian temples. An elephant has to undergo extensive training before it can become a Kumki. Several animal activists have appealed against this training system. Many movies related to Kumki elephants have been released in the Tamil film industry, such as Kumki (2012).

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