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{{short description|Elephant trained to help with wild elephants}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
[[File:Gajendra_and_Durga_kumkies_AJT_Johnsingh_IMG_0398.JPG|thumb|Two kumkis with their [[mahout]]s]]

'''Kumki''' ('''Koomkie''', '''Koonki''' or '''Kunki'''; known as '''Thāppāna''' in [[Malayalam]]) is a term used in India for trained captive [[Asian elephant]]s used in operations to trap wild elephants, sometimes to rescue or to provide medical treatment to an injured or trapped wild elephant.<ref>{{cite book |title=The standard natural history. Mammals. Volume V.|editor=Kingsley, John Sterling|year=1884 |place=Boston |publisher=S.E. Cassino and Company|url=https://archive.org/stream/standardnaturalh05king#page/219/mode/1up/|page=219}}</ref> Kumkis are used for capturing, calming and herding wild elephants or to lead wild elephants away in conflict situations.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Elephant|pages=143–149 |title=The Wealth of India. Volume III: D-E. |year=1952 |publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research|place=New Delhi|editor=Sastri, B.N. |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.101559/2015.101559.The-Wealth-Of-India-Col-3-D-To-E#page/n195/mode/2up/}}</ref> In such cases the training process aims at preserving some of the wild dominant character in them, so that they can control wild elephants by force if necessary. When wild elephants enter human settlements and kumkis are used to drive them away, sometimes direct physical contact might not be needed since the territorial behaviour is aided by scent and other communication between animals.

Some Kumki are particularly trained to follow the "foot commands" from their [[mahout]]s and to move silently during the entire [[Mela shikar#The method|capturing operation]].<ref name="cd">{{cite book|title=Practical Elephant Management - A Handbook for Mahouts|editor=Nibha Namboodiri|publisher=Elephant Welfare Association|date=July 1997|chapter=Elephant capturing in North-Eastern India by Parbati Baruah|url=http://www.elephantcare.org/manwild.htm#CAPTURING|accessdate=2009-08-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720001902/http://www.elephantcare.org/manwild.htm#CAPTURING|archive-date=20 July 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The word is derived from Persian ''kumak'' which means "aid" and is in wide usage from Bengal to Tamil Nadu by mahouts.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/hobsonjobsonagl02croogoog#page/n302/mode/1up/|page=251 |year=1903 |place=London |publisher=John Murray|title=Hobson-Jobson|author1=Yule, Henry |author2=Burnell, A.C.|editor=Crooke, William}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/b22031212#page/112/mode/2up/|page=113|title=The Naturalist's Library. Mammalia. Volume XXIV.|editor=Jardine, Sir William|place=Edinburgh|publisher=W.H. Lizars|year=1854}}</ref>

==Phandi commands==
Following are the commands that phandis use to drive an elephant.<ref name="xy">{{cite journal|last=Mitra|first=Naresh|author2=Ray, Achintyarup|date=2009-09-13|title=Caught in a trap|journal=The Times of India|publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.|location=Kolkata|pages=13|url=http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Archive/skins/pastissues2/navigator.asp?login=default&AW=1252898431312|accessdate=2009-09-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604145300/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/archive/skins/pastissues2/navigator.asp?login=default|archive-date=4 June 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

* '''''Agad:''''' Go forward
*'''''Pisoo/Pichoo:''''' Go backward.
*'''''Dhutt/Datt:''''' Stop
*'''''Beit:''''' Lie (on belly)
*'''''Tere:''''' Lie (on one side)
*'''''Meile/Mut:''''' Get up

==In popular culture==
Some movies related to kumki elephants have been released in the Tamil film industry, such as ''[[Kumki (film)|Kumki]]'' (2012).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Elephants in Indian culture]]

{{India-culture-stub}}

Kumki elephant - Revision history

BXIBerniece at 20:15, 8 October 2025