Jan 23, 2007, 12:35 GMT
Trissur (Kerala), Jan 23 (IANS) Around 20 elephant experts from South and Southeast Asia would be given a two-week training on elephant management here in September.
The free training programme, the first of its kind in India, is being organised by the Bangalore-based Asian Elephant Research and Conservation Centre.
'There would be around 20 experts from countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand besides India,' Jacob Cheeran, a veteran elephant expert, told IANS.
Cheeran, who is also the course director of the event, said the training programme is basically meant for capacity development for proper maintenance of elephants.
'The standard norm is a three-tier structure for capacity development and it includes programmes for mahouts, elephant owners and veterinarians. Since language is a problem we are first beginning with the veterinarians. Our plan is to hold two such programmes every year, one in India and the other outside,' said Cheeran.
© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service
Your Talkback on this Story