This baby elephant is in full spirits as it gets a bath in the cool waters of the river Periyar. He is a proud inmate of a centre for domesticating elephants situated at Kodanad in the Ernakulam district of Kerala. Kodanad is the headquarters of the Malayattoor forest division in the state. This village is famous for its elephant kraal and a mini zoo.

Baby elephants from nearby forests, either washed away in the floods or abandoned by herds, are brought here and domesticated. They are housed in Kraals, traditional wooden cages.

Trained mahouts groom the animals and the training is quite scientific and systematic. About five babies are received every year.

In olden days elephants were captured from the Malayattoor forests and domesticated here. But it is no longer a practice since the government has banned capturing of elephants.

Elephant safari is another attraction here. Large number of wild life enthusiasts and tourists from around the world visit Kodanad every year.

In Kerala, Muthanga in Wayanad and Konni in Pathanamthitta are two other places of elephant domestication.