ASSAM, INDIA, January 13, 2003: Hoping to ease the tension between the local villagers and the elephants, and to promote an appreciation for the pachyderms, a carnival attended by 15,000 people at Kaziranga National Park may have achieved this purpose. The crowds cheered as elephants danced, played football and marched in unison during the two-day festival. Wildlife fans were able to witness first-hand elephants taking a community bath. Organized by the Assam government, the Elephant Festival was intended to promote eco-tourism and impress upon the locals the need to protect the elephants. Of the 10,000 wild elephants in India, 5500 of them call Assam home and 2500 of these have been domesticated. Depleting forest cover has forced some elephants to leave their habitat and this is when the contact with humans has resulted in a least 150 people being trampled to death in the last two years. As a result, the locals resent the elephants. Additionally, some people kill the elephants for meat and sell their tusks in the international market. Paraj Jyoti Das, a tourist attending the carnival says, “I just cannot describe in words the sight of the majestic elephants playing in water, totally oblivious of the outside world.” Arun Mali, a mahout, responds to the elephants’ impressive performance during the festival, “It all depends on how caring a caretaker you are. If you love him, the elephant would never disobey your commands.”
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