3 weeks ago
India's 'Elephant Whisperer' Anand Shinde Walks Toward Rogue Elephants
Elephants are very big animals, and sometimes they get scared or upset.
When that happens, most people run away, but Anand Shinde walks closer to them.
People call him India's 'elephant whisperer.'
He says he doesn't actually talk to elephants in a magical way.
Instead, he watches them very carefully to understand how they feel.
He learned to read their trunks, ears, bodies and sounds, just like we read people's faces.
One day at a festival, he saw an elephant protect the man who had hurt it before.
That taught him that elephants remember and can forgive.
He has helped scared and sad elephants without ever using a stick.
He says if we treat elephants with patience and respect, they tell us everything we need to know.
Anand Shinde, a photojournalist called India's 'elephant whisperer,' has spent 15 years observing elephants and says he has never used a stick.
Shinde insists his work is not communication but 'understanding' elephant behaviour, emotions and body language.
A 2012 encounter at the Thrissur Pooram festival in Kerala, where an elephant protected a mahout who had been punished the day before, changed his approach.
He was called by the Maharashtra Forest Department to observe a grieving mother elephant near the Maharashtra-Telangana border, which he believes was mourning her lost calf.
He has worked with highly aggressive elephants, including Grade 3 and Grade 4 behavioural cases, relying on observation rather than force.
Elephants carry their young for about 22 months, which Shinde cites as the longest gestation period in the world and a sign of their deep emotional bonds.
- Who
- Anand Shinde, an Indian photojournalist widely called the 'elephant whisperer,' and the elephants he observes.
- What
- Shinde has spent 15 years learning to understand elephant behaviour and emotions to reduce dangerous encounters without using force.
- Where
- India, including Kerala, the Thrissur Pooram festival, Gadchiroli, and the Maharashtra-Telangana border.
- When
- His story was featured around World Elephant Day 2026; his journey began about 15 years ago, with a turning point at the 2012 Thrissur Pooram festival.
- Why
- He believes understanding whether an elephant is frightened, grieving or protecting a calf is key to reducing human-elephant conflict and saving both human and elephant lives.
Sceptics
Shinde's approach
Can humans really communicate with elephants?
Sceptics
Sceptics doubt that humans can truly communicate with elephants and see 'elephant whisperer' as a romantic label for someone who has spent years observing them.
Shinde's approach
Shinde agrees it is not communication but 'understanding' — reading elephant behaviour and emotional states developed through thousands of hours of observation.
Handling aggressive elephants: force vs. understanding
Sceptics
Traditional handling, as seen at Thrissur Pooram, involves striking and prodding elephants to make them obey, reflecting a belief that control is necessary.
Shinde's approach
Shinde argues there is no need to control an elephant; understanding its fear, grief or intent can prevent charges and save both human and elephant lives without force.
Key facts
- Name
- Anand Shinde
- Role
- Photojournalist and elephant behaviour observer, called India's 'elephant whisperer'
- Years observing elephants
- 15 years
- Turning point
- 2012 Thrissur Pooram festival, Kerala
- Key technique
- Reading behaviour, vocalisations, trunk, ears, posture, movement and tusks
- Elephant gestation period
- About 22 months, described as the longest in the world
- Use of force
- Never used a stick in 15 years
- Associated organisation
- TrunkCall - The WildLife Foundation
Quotes
Anand Shinde
Indian elephant observer and trainer known as the ‘elephant whisperer’.
“If everyone had stayed there, she might have charged. People would have blamed the elephant. Nobody would have recognised the grief.”
thebetterindia.com
“We need to change the language we use. We need to understand an elephant.”
thebetterindia.com
Sources
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