Plot

Bomman and Bellie, a couple in South India, devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human and the animal world.

The Elephant Whisperers follows an indigenous couple as they fall in love with Raghu, an orphaned elephant given into their care, and tirelessly work to ensure his survival. The film highlights the beauty of the wild spaces in South India and the people and animals who share this space.—kartikiselena

Tamilnadu, India, 2019. Mudumalai Tiger reserve. Theppakadu elephant camp is one of the oldest camps in Asia and was established 140 years ago. This landscape is the largest contiguous wild space for the Asian Elephant. This camp is where all the abandoned and displaced elephants are brought for rehabilitation.

The Elephant Whisperers tells the story of an indigenous couple named Bomman and Bellie who are entrusted with an orphaned baby Indian elephant named Raghu. They take great pains to ensure that the fragile, injured infant survives and grows to be a healthy juvenile. When Raghu arrived, he was bitten by wild dogs and his open wounds were infected with maggots. Raghu's mother got electrocuted and died instantly. Raghu was brought to the camp as he got separated from the herd. It took 3 years of hard work to fully cure Raghu.

Raghu is housed in a makeshift shelter in the middle of the jungle to protect him from the other wild animals in the area. Bomman takes Raghu to the river for his daily baths. Bomman and Bellie are not official caretakers for elephants, but Raghu clung to her clothes when he first came. The forest department assigned Raghu to them. Bellie is the only female assigned as an elephant caretaker. Bomman's family has been in the caretaker role for 3 generations.

Raghu wears a bell so he can be found if he wanders off into the forest. Raghu makes friends with another elephant named Krishna. A strong bond develops between the couple and the elephant. Bellie's ex-husband was killed by a tiger. Raghu helped her as much as she helped him. They became a family around Raghu, and this is why he survived. Bomman and Bellie are tribal and get their sustenance from the forest. They also protect it and don't take more than what is necessary for survival.

Elephants are intelligent and emotional but can be dangerous. Bomman got stabbed once by the tusk of a large elephant. Bomman cannot work with large elephants anymore and which is why Raghu is a godsend for him. Bellie considers Raghu her son. They have to feed Raghu nutritious food by hand. Raghu is like a naughty kid; he will only eat what he wants. Taking care of elephants means feeding them, cleaning after them, training them, protecting them and so on. They also require a lot of love and attention.

On a special day, all the elephant calves are taken to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha. To the tribal, the elephants are a reincarnation of God. Serving the elephants put food on their tables. Elephant habitats are threatened by droughts and expanding human presence. As herd wander the jungle for water, calves are often lost and get left behind. Bomman and Bellie get married. Sanjana is Bellie's daughter and is interested in taking care of the elephants, just like her.

They adopt another elephant Ammukutty and eventually have to give up Raghu. Ammu is a baby elephant, and no other couple has been successful in saving a baby elephant. Bomman and Bellie could not eat properly for days after that. Ammu was also very upset and didn't drink her milk for several days. Set in the Mudumalai National Park in the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states of India, the documentary also highlights the natural beauty of the location. It explores the life of the tribal people in harmony with nature. Bellie is now known as the Mother of Elephants. Raghu stills comes to Bomman whenever he calls. Bomman and Bellie are now training the next generation of elephant caretakers. Ammu and Raghu are now 3 and 7 year old respectively.

The film is not just a heart-touching story of a bond between animal and human and co-existence, but also showcases Indian culture and tradition of environment conservation.