No degree can help you land this highly skilled job of elephant care-taker Premium

A young man, who had applied for the job of aane kavadiga (caretaker of an elephant), was struggling to make the pachyderm obey his command. When all else failed, he prostrated before the animal, begging for cooperation so that he could get the government job. The elephant, not surprisingly, remained unimpressed.

A young man, who had applied for the job of aane kavadiga (caretaker of an elephant), was struggling to make the pachyderm obey his command. When all else failed, he prostrated before the animal, begging for cooperation so that he could get the government job. The elephant, not surprisingly, remained unimpressed.

This was a scene in May at Sakrebailu camp near Shivamogga during the recruitment for aane kavadigas. The Shivamogga wildlife division had invited applications to fill four vacancies in the camp. The selection process is tough, as the applicants have to convince the recruiting panel that they can handle kumki (tamed, trained) pachyderms effectively.

The number of degrees obtained does not help one land this job. In fact, the recruiting agency does not consider educational qualifications. The applicants are asked to handle a tamed elephant in the camp in the presence of experienced mahouts and senior officers. The candidate has to get onto the elephant, make sure the animal listens to his commands and responds. For the most part, only those with prior experience in handling elephants land this job.

Many of those who appeared for the interview were from the Kalyana Karnataka region, and some of them were unaware of the challenges of the job. 

An applicant said he studied BA and B.Ed. in Ballari. He had applied for the job as he was looking for a ‘secure government job’. “When I came here and entered the camp, I realised this was not my kind of job at all. It is meant for only those who have experience handling elephants. My certificates or educational qualification have no relevance here.”

In contrast, another applicant, who worked in an elephant camp on a contract basis earlier, was confident of getting the job. “The animal responded to my commands. Without proper schooling, I cannot hope to get any other job,” he said.

Dr. K.T. Hanumanthappa, Chief Conservator of Forests, Shivamogga circle, said, “Only those who worked in elephant camps on a contract basis, or those who handled elephants in religious institutions, can do the tasks we assign them. This time, many of the applicants had no basic knowledge of the job. They were carrying only educational certificates.”