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World Elephant Day: Tamil Nadu’s Malasar tribesmen honoured with first Gaj Gaurav Award

The Malasar tribe community which helps the Forest Department in taking care of the elephants has been bestowed with the first Gaj

Today as the world celebrates World Elephant Day, it is very special for the tribals of Anamalai hills, Tamil Nadu – the Malasar – as they have chosen for the first Gaj Gaurav Award.

The award has been instituted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

The presentation of the award will take place today to the mahouts (elephant men) and cavadis (assistants) from the Malasar tribal community in Coimbatore district at a function at the Periyar Elephant Reserve, Kerala on WED. These tribals are known to work for the Forest Department as elephant men.

The mahouts and cavadis of the Malasar tribe community chosen for the award are working in Pollachi Forest Division’s Kozhikamuthy and Varagaliar elephant camps in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.

Gaj Gaurav is presented as recognition of good practices adopted by captive elephant owners and outstanding works done by field officers, frontline staff and private custodians in elephant conservation.

At present there are 120 Malasar families in Kozhikamuthy settlement and areas around it and men of this community work for the Forest Department and assist in capturing, taming and taking care of elephants. The two camps have 26 camp elephants including kumkis or male elephants trained for special operations.