The forests of Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh are alive with the whispers of wind through teak leaves and the distant trumpets of elephants who have walked these paths for decades. In September 2025, these forests became the setting for another journey of care and compassion, as Wildlife SOS’s Haathi Sewa, India’s 1st mobile elephant clinic, arrived to examine and treat the resident elephants of the reserve. This initiative was supported by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department.
Over the course of two days, the team worked tirelessly to ensure that the elephants who protect these forests were themselves protected through veterinary care, preventive medicine, and training that strengthens the bond between elephants and their mahouts.
The Haathi Sewa team conducted a detailed and thorough health examination of 11 elephants owned by the forest department of Madhya Pradesh at Pench. Among the 11, there were 8 males and 3 female elephants, each having their own story of medical needs. Their check-ups were followed by a capacity-building programme organised for the mahouts of these elephants, which focused on elephant care, basic hygiene, husbandry practices, first aid and methods of foot care. The elephants were found to be generally healthy, yet there were certain areas where attentive medical care and continuous training could further enhance their well-being.
Listening to Every Giant’s Story
Every elephant examined during the Haathi Sewa visit carried a silent tale of strength, age, and resilience that the veterinarians attentively paid heed to.
The 76-year-old elephant of Pench reserve, Saraswati, who has now retired from a life of patrolling, prefers to spend most of her time resting. She is receiving nutritional support and was observed to have a steady gait. The team, however, noticed inflammation near her right temple, indicating slight degeneration of the muscle with age. Foot care and deworming medicines were then prescribed for her. The team also attended to a 24-year-old female elephant nearby called Sharon, who was accompanied by her 1-year-old calf, Shubh. While our team administered both Shubh and Sharon with regular deworming medications and basic foot care, Shubh’s mahout was guided to perform gentle operant conditioning, with edible treats motivating the infant elephant. By taking these small steps, the mahout could build a bond of lifetime trust and cooperation between himself and Shubh, making the process of examining him whenever needed easy for both.
Despite being blind in his right eye, Maruti, a 23-year-old bull, approached the team gently. Hope came in the form of autologous serum therapy, which used his own blood serum as eye drops to treat the dense white opacity and help heal his cornea. Our team also provided him with necessary foot care and deworming. Another male elephant named Lava had two small fibrous growths close to his thigh and stifle (knee) joint. In order to ensure that the lesions of this 28-year-old bull healed without infection, the team attended to his wounds and gave the mahouts instructions for continued observation. Another young elephant examined was 14-year-old Ganesh. He carried the marks of old wounds, as well as chronic skin lesions across his hip and tail. His care plan included medicated cleaning, topical treatment, and regular observation to be carried by mahouts.
Amid these medical moments came a burst of joy. Damini, a female elephant of 27 years, was confirmed to be pregnant. The team showered her with affectionate gestures and informed her mahout about preventive care and nutritional supplements for the months ahead. General Thimmaiya (10) and Bali (41), both powerful adult males, underwent routine deworming and foot care. Thimmaiya’s occasional aggression became an educational topic for his mahouts, who were counselled on calm, confident handling to channel his energy safely.
Two other bulls, Jang Bahadur (57) and General Kariyappa (10), were in musth, a natural yet challenging phase marked by heightened testosterone and restlessness. The veterinarians guided mahouts on maintaining hydration, space, and patient observation during this period.
Across all individuals examined, one encouraging sign stood out: excellent muscle tone and steady gait, a testament to the elephants’ strong health and the care they already receive. Treatments were therefore thoughtfully customised to address specific issues like ocular opacity, musculoskeletal strain, and skin and foot conditions.
Elephant foot health is often a silent indicator of their overall welfare. In Pench, the team found that elephants maintained on natural forest terrain displayed healthy foot pads and minimal cracking, thanks to the forest’s substrate. However, minor overgrowth in toenails required careful trimming. Mahouts were trained in gradual rasping techniques, ensuring they file nails without applying excess pressure on the nail bed, a critical step in preventing pain and infection. Overall, all the elephants received deworming medications, while some underwent foot care treatments, including pad cleaning and trimming. Blood samples were also collected, while faecal samples and swabs were taken for parasite monitoring.
Empowering Those Who Care
Once the pachyderms were attended to, the Haathi Sewa team turned their attention to the ones who form the heart of elephant welfare, the mahouts. A one-day workshop focused on deepening their understanding of elephant behaviour and health, blending science with empathy. The sessions covered everything from musth management and hydration routines to pain recognition and post-calving care. Mahouts learned to observe subtle cues such as a shift in appetite, a constant tendency to lean against a tree, an unusual stillness of the trunk — all of which can speak volumes about an elephant’s well-being. The team also introduced operant conditioning with positive reinforcements, encouraging mahouts to start shaping a kind and calm behaviour as they tend to their elephants. Through discussion and demonstration, the workshop evolved beyond technical training; it became a discussion on how care and compassion can be included for the majestic living beings. By the end of the day, the mahouts walked away not just with new skills, but with a deeper sense of connection to the giants they guard every day.
Infrastructure for the Future
The team advised the establishment of an ERD (Elephant Restraining Device) within the reserve to support efficient and humane handling, thereby ensuring that medical treatments can be administered safely and with minimal stress to both the elephant and the caregivers. This structure, which would be made of sturdy wooden logs or iron pipes, would enable expert veterinarians to perform medical procedures like blood collection, wound dressing, or foot care in a safe and effective manner, lowering risk and stress for both humans and elephants. Such facilities will significantly improve long-term elephant healthcare throughout Madhya Pradesh’s forest divisions, especially when combined with routine veterinary examinations and observation.
The sun may have dipped behind the Pench hills as the Haathi Sewa team exited the reserve, but a great share of knowledge, sensitivity and caring techniques made sure to leave a shining light in the minds of mahouts. The elephants were in the good hands of motivated mahouts when the groundwork for lasting welfare was firmly laid out. From Assam’s grasslands to Meghalaya’s misty hills, Jharkhand’s sal forests, and now the teak heartlands of Madhya Pradesh, Haathi Sewa continues to weave a story of healing and hope, ensuring that every elephant, young or old, receives care with dignity.
If you encounter an elephant in distress, please reach out to the Elephant Helpline at +91-9971699727 or write to us at info@wildlifesos.org
Feature image: Atharva Pacharne/ Wildlife SOS
