Quick Info→
Hometown: Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu Father: Kunjan Age: 52 Years
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full name | K. Bomman [1]The New Indian Express |
| Profession | Mahout |
| Known for | Appearing in Oscar winning short documentary film The Elephant Whisperers. |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 168 cm in meters– 1.68 m in feet & inches– 5’ 6” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt and Pepper |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | Year, 1971 |
| Age (as of 2023) | 52 Years |
| Birthplace | Madumalai, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Madumalai, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu |
| Religion | Hinduism [2]NDTV
Note: He works as a priest in a Hindu temple and worships Ganesha. |
| Tribe | Kattunayakan [3]Hindustan Times |
| Address | Theppakadu Elephant Elephant Camp, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu-643223, India |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Marriage Date | Late 2000s |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Bellie Amma (mahout in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp) |
| Children | Son– 1 (he passed away when The Elephant Whisperers was being shot) Daughter– 1 (stepdaughter; she passed away in a local hospital after she lit herself on fire) |
| Parents | Father– Kunjan (mahout) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Bomman
- Bomman is an Indian mahout employed by the forest department of Tamil Nadu. He made headlines in March 2023 after The Elephant Whisperers, a short documentary film in which Bomman and his wife Bellie appeared, won the Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony.
- He started working as a mahout with the forest department of Tamil Nadu in 1984. As a mahout, Bomman has rescued many elephants in distress in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp, situated in the tiger reserve of Mudumalai.
- In May 2017, he adopted a 3-month-old male elephant calf named Raghu after its mother died because of electrocution at a village near the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
A picture of Bomman with Bommi
- In June 2017, Bomman rescued a female elephant calf named Bommi (aka Ammu) at the Madumalai Tiger Reserve and adopted it.
Raghu sitting with Bommi and Raghu
- In the same year, Bomman was approached by Kartiki Gonsalves to appear in a short documentary film titled The Elephant Whisperers. The film had Bomman, Bellie, Raghu, and Bommi.
- The film was completed in 2022 and was released on Netflix on 8 December 2022.
- On 13 March 2023, the film received the Academy Award in the Best Documentary Short Film category. While giving an interview, Bomman expressed his happiness over the film’s achievement and said that winning the Oscar was a big achievement for the country. Talking about it, he said,
It’s a matter of pride for our country. The documentary makers just filmed me and the elephants as we normally are and captured our regular lives on a day-to-day basis. However, standing in front of the camera and talking was different as it was my first time. I’m thankful to Kartiki madam and also to the elephants. I am happy that the award has brought pride to the entire nation and our forest department.”A still from The Elephant Whisperers
- After the Madras High Court’s order, the forest department of Tamil Nadu posted Bomman to the Palacode forest at Dhrmapuri in March 2023 to find and rescue two elephant calves, who were lost in the forest. He, in an interview, said that upon finding the elephants, he would request the forest department authorities to hand over the custody of the calves to him. While giving an interview, he talked about it and said,
These are the two elephant calves that were part of a herd. Their mothers were among the three elephants that had died after getting electrocuted, last week, in Dharmapuri. They went into the forest after being chased away by some men who were in an inebriated state. If I find them, I hope to get the chance to raise them.”
References/Sources:[+]
| ↑1 | The New Indian Express |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | NDTV |
| ↑3 | Hindustan Times |