A mahout is the person who cares for and trains an elephant.
The word comes from a Sanskrit word — mahamatra — meaning “one having great measure”. Elephant handlers are also called cornac or kornak, from the Singhalese word kurawanayaka — meaning “stable master”.
The mahout is assisted in elephant care by a grass cutter and occasionally a waged assistant. The grass cutter is often responsible for feeding, bathing, and grooming the elephant — all of the care with none of the training.
Often, working as a mahout is a family business. A child around the age of ten is assigned to a young elephant and they work together for the rest of the elephant’s life. Parent teaches child about the care and handling of elephants.
For those who do not come to the profession through family, the work begins differently. According to a mahout training manual, the “outsider” has to work his way up from a waged assistant, helping the grass cutter and the mahout care for the elephants. From assistant, the outsider can move up to become a grass cutter. This is where many tricks of the trade are taught. Eventually, the outsider becomes mahout to his own elephant and can train other grass cutters and assistants.
The Sanskrit language describes three different types of elephant handlers:
- Reghawan: those who use love to control the elephant.
- Yukthiman: those who use ingenuity to outsmart the elephant.
- Balwan: those who use cruelty to control the elephant.
Mahouts are expected to be in good health, as the daily routine of elephant work is demanding. According to the mahout training manual, an elephant handler must “pay attention to his as well as his elephant’s hygiene.” It is beneficial for both mahout and elephant when the mahout is conscious of the well-being of the elephant — working elephants are in high demand and are not easily replaced.