Komali and me: With respect, we connect

A keeper's care for Komali the elephant offers a glimpse into Mandai Wildlife Group's evolution in its approach to animal care and conservation

- GENEVIEVE CHAN

It was a rainy afternoon in 2005, and they were indoors. Mr Saravanan Elangkovan was sitting on a stool when Komali, a 2,885kg Sri Lankan elephant, sauntered over and towered over him.

It was a gesture similar to what elephants do to protect their young.

And it was a breakthrough; a bridge had finally been built between human and animal. There was no command or cue. She had simply chosen to be near.

Their relationship, which began in 1997, hadn't always been this way.

She used to keep me on my toes almost every day, says Mr Saravanan, who was 21 and a junior keeper when he first met Komali. Then about 55 in elephant years, Komali was showing signs of dominance. She had been brought here as a calf from Sri Lanka's Dehiwala Zoo.

"Every time I walked past her, she'd be staring. Then her ears would go back; when you get closer, she'd start to kick."

Back then, elephant care was grounded in hierarchy: Keepers were taught to be the alpha—firm, always in control—to train elephants and earn their respect.

"Komali was a tough nut to crack," says Mr Saravanan, now 49 and vice-president of Animal Care (Operations) at Mandai Wildlife Group. "She's got a very strong character. The first five years were tough."

To Mr Saravanan, that rainy afternoon felt like the start of something different: A relationship not defined by who was in charge, but built on respect.

It reflected a wider shift at Mandai Wildlife Group, one that would reshape how all animals are cared for, and the ideal of a modern zoo—to advance not just animal care but also wildlife conservation.

Different ways to care Today, caring for animals at Mandai Wildlife Group's wildlife parks involves a deeper focus of their physical, behavioural and mental well-being.

The approach is reflected across the group's five parks within the Mandai Wildlife Reserve: