Context:- The Oscar for Best Documentary Short was announced for ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ which revolves around a family who adopts 2 orphan baby elephants in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and rears them.
- Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu.
- It is at the tri-junction of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- The Tiger Reserve comprises of the wildlife sanctuary and the national park of the same name.
- It forms a part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve.
- It has a common boundary with Wyanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) on the West, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) on the North.
- The Moyar River flows downstream into the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and is the natural line of division between Mudumalai and Bandipur Sanctuary.
Theppakadu Elephant Camp
- Theppakadu Elephant Camp is located deep inside the Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu.
- The Elephant camp located on the bank of the river Moyar, was established way back in 1927.
- It is the oldest elephant camp in Asia.
- The Camp elephants consist of rescued and captured conflict animals.
- They are tamed at this camp and trained to become ‘kumki’ elephants meant to help in the capture of wild elephants.
- These elephants are mainly used in Human- Wild animal conflicts, Forest Mansoon patrolling, eco-tourism, elephant conservation, Education etc.
