World Elephant Day: Anamalai Kaleem, Tamil Nadu's Legendary Kumki Who Tamed 99 Rogue Jumbos

In 2017, when the first mission to capture Arikomban, the now infamous rice-raiding tusker of Kerala failed, it was one of the rarest defeats Anamalai Kaleem faced in its nearly four-decade-long career as a Kumki elephant.

Then known as Odikomban, the young bull elephant had just started to be a troublemaker in Chinnakanal, near Kerala's Munnar, when it was decided to capture it.

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2017 mission Arikomban

Since Kerala Forest Department didn't have trained rescue elephants (kumki/thappana), two kumkis from Kozhikamuthi Elephant Camp in Tamil Nadu's Anamalai were deployed for the task.

One of them was Anamalai Kaleem and it was accompanied by Venkatesh, a much less experienced kumki elephant.

But the lack of coordination between the two kumkis proved costly. As the two kumki elephants fought, Arikomban, darted with tranquillizer, slipped away.

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Anamalai Kaleem, the legendary kumki elephant

This was one of the most high-profile defeats of Anamalai Kaleem, the former 'leader' of Tamil Nadu Forest Department's Kumki Squad.

Incidentally, the last operation in which Anamalai Kaleem took part was also unsuccessful - the 2021 mission to capture and radio-collar Baahubali in Mettupalayam.

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And in March 2023, Anamalai Kaleem retired from service, at the age of 60, with 99 successful rescue operations under his belt across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

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Emotional farewell on retirement

As he bowed out, Anamalai Kaleem was given an emotional farewell and a guard of honour by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.

Our eyes are wet and hearts are full with gratitude as Kaleem the iconic Kumki elephant of the Kozhiamuttthi elephant camp in Tamil Nadu retired today at the age of 60. Involved in 99 rescue operations he is a legend. He received a guard of honour from #TNForest #Kaleem pic.twitter.com/bA1lUOQmTw

¡ª Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) March 7, 2023

Was found from Veerappna's forest

It was back in 1972, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department found a six-year-old bull calf, which was separated from his herd in Sathymangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), the infamous abode of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.

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The young jumbo was brought to Kozhikamuthi camp, where it became Anamalai Kaleem, and as its physique was deemed to suit the requirements of a kumki, it underwent training to become a rescue elephant.

What is Kumki training?

The kumki training is a controversial practice, which many animal rights groups argue involves cruelty to tame the elephant. As part of kumki training, elephants are taught to chase away, capture or rescue troublemakers or injured wild animals, including other jumbos.

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The best Kumki ever

As a kumki, Kaleem was paired with its mahout Palanisamy, and despite being a trained elephant, he was one the only few people who could keep the impulsive jumbo under check.

With every successful operation, Kaleem built a stellar reputation as one of the best, if not the best kumki ever.

Anamalai Kaleem's dark side

But Kaleem has a dark side too... Ironically Kaleem may have killed more humans and elephants than any of the rogue tuskers it helped capture or push back into the forest.

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It was said that if Kaleem felt an elephant he was deployed to capture was a troublemaker, he wouldn't hesitate to kill it.

And it is not just wild elephants that have lost their lives to the angry side of Kaleem - some of his own fellow kumkis have also been killed or injured by the eight-foot-tall, five-tonne behemoth.

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After hanging up his boots in March 2023, Kaleem is now enjoying his retirement life in the Topslip Elephant Camp.

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