Bomman and Bellie of The Elephant Whisperers address media in Mumbai, have got a new calf to care for

Bomman and Bellie, the adorable elephant whisperers from Kartiki Gonsalves’ Oscar-winning film are in Mumbai for a press conference. The couple, who featured in Best Documentary Short winner The Elephant Whisperers, have now got another calf to care for.

At the press conference, Bomman said, “I am a Kattuanayakan. I am a protector of the forest. I feel immense pride that the stories of my babies have been put in front of the world. I want to thank Kartiki madam for actually bringing my story and the story of my children to the entire world. That is so important to me, beyond the prize, the pride I feel as a father.” He was joined by his wife Bellie, director Kartiki and producer Guneet Monga.

Bellie told the media, “Bomman might feel a little shy. But I have no fear because I’ve lived in the forest. You people might think Oscar is big prize but for me, the real prize is coming and meeting all you wonderful people who have given me so much respect as a mother. I want to thank everybody here. It’s wonderful to be able to come to a big city and meet people.”

Bomman and Bellie are now taking care of a new orphaned elephant calf. She said, “It is sometimes painful when I bring up elephants and they have be left back in the wild. As a mother you bring up children and then they go away. As a mother, I was apprehensive about bringing up another child. But when they brought Dharmam to me and they told me his mother has passed away. How could I say no to bring up the baby elephant?”

Bomman added he’s waiting to go back because they are going raise Dharmam. His three siblings have also gone missing. He’s the only one left.

The documentary depicted the care and love showered by caretakers, Belli and her husband Bomman, in rearing abandoned baby elephants at the government-run Theppakkadu Elephant Camp in the Nilgiris District. The short film was on two elephant calves, ‘Raghu’ and ‘Ammu.’