Bomman is an Indian Mahout, who works with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. He is best known for starring in the Oscar-winning short documentary film The Elephant Whisperers (2022).
Wiki/Biography
K. Bomman was born in 1971 (age 52 years; in 2023) in Mudumalai, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 6″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Family
Bomman was born into a Hindu family belonging to the Kattunayakan tribe in Tamil Nadu.
Parents & Siblings
His father, Kunjan, was a Mahout.
Wife & Children
His wife, Bellie Amma, is a Mahout and works at Theppakadu Elephant Camp. They first met when the forest department temporarily hired Bellie as a caretaker for Raghu and Bommi, two baby elephants. They got married in the late 2000s.
Photo of Bomman and Bellie together
He has a son and a daughter. His son died during the shooting of The Elephant Whisperers. Her stepson, who Bellie had from her first husband, died in a local hospital after she set herself on fire.
religion
Bomman is a Hindu. Apart from being a Mahout, he is also a temple priest and worshiper of Ganesha.
Address
He resides in Theppakadu Elephant Camp, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu-643223, India.
Career
Mahout
As a Mahout, he started working with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department at Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in 1984. There, he was tasked with finding and rescuing elephants in distress. In May 2017, he rescued and adopted Raghu, a 3-month-old baby elephant, after his mother died of electrocution at the Mudumali Tiger Reserve. In June 2019, she rescued another baby elephant named Bommi (aka Ammu) after she was abandoned by her herd at the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). Later, Bommi is taken to Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, where forest officials try to reunite Bommi with her herd. However, their attempts were unsuccessful. Subsequently, S. Muralidharan, an activist, filed litigation in the Madras High Court, seeking to stop the forest department officials’ attempts to reunite Bommi with his group as it was putting Bommi’s life in danger. In his litigation, Muralidharan also asked the court to order the forest department to place Bommi either in a zoo or an elephant camp. On October 24, 2019, High Court judges M. Sathyanarayanan (since retired) and N. Seshasayee gave their verdict in favor of Muralidaharan and directed the forest department to hand over the baby elephant to Bomman as he had the appropriate experience to rear elephants as he had raised Raghu as well .. The court asked Bomman to raise Bommi “carefully” and “in a safe manner.” At first, Raghu has a hard time accepting Bommi and is often jealous that Bomman and Bellie turn their attention to him. However, Raghu accepts Bommi as part of his family later.
Photo of Bomman with Raghu and Bommi
In 2023, he was directed by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department on the orders of the Madras High Court to search for two missing baby elephants in the Palacode forest in Dhrmapuri. In an interview, she said that she wanted to adopt a child and raise a calf after meeting him. Speaking about it, he said,
These are two baby elephants that are part of a herd. Their mother was among three elephants that died after being electrocuted, last week, in Dharmapuri. They entered the forest after being chased by some drunken men. If I find them, I hope to get a chance to raise them.”
The Elephant Whisperers
Bomman appeared in the 2022 short documentary film The Elephant Whisperers, produced by Guneet Monga and directed by Kartiki Gonsalves. Filming for the documentary began in 2017, and Bomman, his wife, Bellie, and Raghu and Bommi, two baby elephants raised by the couple, are in the cast. Filming for the film ended in 2022 and was released on Netflix in the same year. In 2023, the film received the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film. In an interview, Bomman said that he was very happy that the film received an Oscar. He further said it is a big achievement for India. Talking about the film, he said,
It is a pride for our country. The documentary maker just filmed me and the elephant as usual and recorded our normal everyday life. However, standing in front of the camera and speaking was different because it was my first time. I am thankful to Kartiki ma’am and also the elephant. I am happy that the award has brought pride to the entire country and our forest department.”
Bomman in a still from the movie The Elephant Whisperers
In April 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Theppakadu Elephant Camp, where he met Bomman, Bellie, Raghu, and Bommi.
Photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Bomman and Bellie
On 9 May 2023, Bomman and Bellie and The Elephant Whisperers director Kartiki Gonsalves visited the MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk in Chennai, where MS Dhoni presented them with personalized jerseys.
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni presented the jerseys to Bomman and Bellie on 9 May 2023
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
