Moorthy, a 55-year-old Makna elephant, was captured from a conflict zone in 1998 and brought to the Mudumalai Elephant Camp in Tamil Nadu, South India. 12 April 2018.
20 years earlier, Moorthy entered into the human habitat and killed 23 people. In response, forest officials issued an order for him to be shot, however state authorities banned any harm to the elephant. The elephant was captured and trained in the camp by the Kurumba community. After one year of treatment and training, Moorthy became one of the camp's calmest elephants.
From ‘Tamed Tuskers’ by Senthil Kumaran (@senthilphotography).
Over the last 20 years, India has lost 1.5 million hectares of forest vegetation due to urban development, according to Asia Times. Historic elephant migration routes have been lost as a result of anthropogenic pressure around their habitats. Human-mediated activities have encroached on more than 80% of elephant corridors, forcing them to traverse human-dominated environments. Conflict arises from such physical rapprochement, including crop devastation, homes being destroyed, and the accidental killing of people.
Senthil Kumaran is a documentary photographer and @natgeo explorer from Madurai, South India. His long-term project ‘Boundaries: Human-Tiger Conflict’ was awarded in the #WPPh2022 Contest. Follow the link in our bio to discover his awarded work.