If You Were Wondering About Elephant Retirement Homes In India

Wonder no more.

“We want them to enjoy their last years after being such good workers without worrying where their next meal will come from,” said V.S. Verghese, Kerala’s chief wildlife warden who is in charge of the scheme.

“They’ll get special treats like big slabs of rice, a course sugar called jaggery, and honey. And vets will be on hand.”

The home will consist of 1,000 acres of woodland where each of the elephants can roam freely, as well as having its own personal pen. There, they will be fed, watered, bathed and massaged with large pumice stones and coconut husks by dedicated mahouts (elephant grooms) to keep their blood circulation healthy.

The mahouts will also mix special Ayurvedic tonics from local herbs, which can be consumed as pills or rubbed into their skin as a balm. Elephants, including Babu, suffer greatly from allergies.

Mr Verghese describes the home as “like a wildlife sanctuary”, with plenty of trees, reeds and bamboo where the elephants can forage. The surrounding countryside is mostly rubber plantations and eucalyptus forests.