Elephants are like our children, says Belli of Oscar-winner ‘The Elephant Whisperers’

“I do not know about Oscar award,” was Belli’s response to The Elephant Whisperers winning honours at the 95th Academy Awards but the documentary’s “leading lady,” loves being a valarppu thaai (foster mother) for abandoned young pachyderms.

“Elephants are like our children, We see it as great service to a child, who lost its mother,” says Belli, who featured in The Elephant Whisperers. It won the award for Best Short Documentary at the Oscars on Monday.

Admitting that she did not know about the award, Belli however, said she was excited to receive the wishes, which were pouring in. “I have reared many such elephants, treated them like my own children, looking after them as a foster mother, particularly those who lose their mothers in the jungle,” Belli told PTI.

Also read: The Elephant Whisperers bags Oscar for Documentary Short Subject

‘In our blood…’

She further said, “This was in our blood, as our ancestors were also working like that, as described by our grandmother, who comes from a mahout family”. On the documentary winning an Oscar, Belli quipped, “I do not know about the award. But I am very happy and excited as congratulations are pouring in.”

Asked about her hero and husband Bomman in the documentary, she said that he had gone to Salem to bring an elephant which had some serious problems and was eagerly waiting to serve the new arrival. The couple belongs to the Kattunayakan tribe and work as mahouts at Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in The Nilgiris district and look after the needs of jumbos.

Also read: Elephant Whisperers: This documentary, up for Oscars, is a triumph of empathy

Man-animal bond

The Elephant Whisperers, directed by Kartiki Gonsalves, in its 39-minute runtime, depicts an unbreakable bond between two abandoned elephant calves Raghu and Amu and their caretakers, Bomman and Belli.

Meanwhile, the Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association Secretary Alwas termed the award as a recognition to the traditional profession of the tribals. The tribe originally hunted wild animals in the forest reserve before they decided to start taking care of elephants. Interestingly, Bellie initially feared wild animals since her first husband was killed by a tiger. She met Bomman when she was assigned to take care of baby elephants; soon, the two tied the knot with each other.

(With Agency inputs)