It was a big achievement for Switzerland’s Fabio Preti when he got the tag of mahout at Jaipur’s historical Amer fort. He has been in Jaipur for months, living with a mahout family to learn the skill of a mahout.
“He is like one of us,” says Shafique Khan, who has been training Febio. Mr Khan has 12 elephants at Amer. But one of them, Lakshmi, is Febio’s favourite. “Lakshmi understands what Febio tells her,” says Shafique Khan.
“Whenever Febio calls, Lakshmi comes like a sister on brother’s call,” says Mr Khan. It is the realisation of a long-cherished dream when I got an identity card as mahout issued by the Elephant Owners Association,” says Febio. “I love the elephants,” he says.
“An elephant is as faithful as human. In my view, elephants are intelligent,” says Mr Febio. His day starts with Lakshmi and ends with Lakshmi’s return from her daily ride at the Amer fort. He mingles with mahouts and wears the same cloth as the mahouts. “After training, he is able to handle the animal on his own. We send him with Lakshmi at the Amer fort to ferry the tourist,” says Shafique Khan. Spelling out his future plans, Febio said he would like to settle in Amer and serve the animal and the mahout community. “If the government allows me, I will like to spend my life here among the mahouts,” he says. My family members also appreciates my work and supports me,” says Febio.
“He has learnt all commands to be given to the animal,” says Khan. There are around 100 elephants allowed to ferry tourists at the fort.