The Elephant Doctor of India
Early on a January morning in 2015, a young bull elephant touched on a sagging electric line in the Paneri Tea Plantation in the Udalgari District of Assam, India. The elephant’s soft-padded feet conducted the current, and the animal fell, kicking in the mud. The local veterinarian called to the scene thought the tusker was going to die. The forest department warden didn’t agree. With proper treatment he believed the animal could survive. He called the one person who could help: Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma, India’s beloved elephant doctor. The Elephant Doctor of India brings the middle-grade reader into the heart of Assam, a remote land of tea plantations, paddy fields, and ancient forests, to tell the true story of the last viable population of Asian elephants and one man who is dedicated to saving them. Author Janie Chodosh spent time with Dr. Sarma and brings his incredible story and the lives of these magnificent animals to readers everywhere.
“The American author Janie Chodosh visited India, more specifically, visited Assam to meet Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma back in 2015-16. Learning about his adventure-filled life which he so bravely dedicated to elephant healthcare and welfare, it spiked her curiosity and excitement to find such a person, which inspired her to write a book on him. After countless questions and thorough research on not just his professional life, but the culture of the Assamese people, their way of life and his childhood, she combined all that she learned into a book titled “The Elephant Doctor of India”. This is a source of inspiration for all of us Veterinarians as well as our Indian community. Also, a moment of great pride.
We thank Janie for all her hard work ♥ ”
Written by Dr. Nina Sarma
Featured in Time Magazine for Kids: https://www.timeforkids.com/g56/on-planet-earth-2/?fbclid=IwAR0XNi7PqtspXPnSgJ-RzEW5ltVbNF0a82G3b0Tj9Ou8KW39GHgUnzk-IYw
Reviews
Kirkus Reviews calls the book “A charming and informative work of nonfiction.”
Full review:
Throughout his career, Dr. Kushal Konwar “KK” Sarma has treated a variety of animals, but his first love has always been elephants. Growing up in a village in Assam, India, he was particularly close to an elephant named Lakshmi, who died an untimely death at least partly because there were no doctors available to recognize and treat her symptoms. The loss of his favorite childhood companion inspired Sarma to become a veterinarian, determined to prevent any more unnecessary elephant deaths. His passion for elephants led Sarma to become a pioneer in the field of veterinary science, developing a technique for chemically sedating elephants before anyone else in Assam and gaining a reputation as the person to call whenever an elephant is in danger. In Chodosh’s account, Sarma’s adventures take him all over the state of Assam. His experiences healing India’s elephants—and, in the process, protecting human lives—are sometimes dangerous, sometimes heartbreaking, and always thrilling. This engaging and deeply researched book intersperses fascinating information about the lives of Assamese elephants with vivid scenes of Sarma’s veterinary life. Chodosh treats issues like religion, ethnicity, and language with care, providing readers with insight not only into elephant science, but also into northeastern Indian culture and tradition. The book’s afterword is an empowering call to action sure to create a generation of local ecological activists well aware of the global ramifications of their work. A charming and informative work of nonfiction. (elephant facts, glossary) (Biography. 9-14)
School Library Journal:
Gr 4-7–Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma, an innovative Indian veterinarian specializing in the care of elephants, is the purported subject of this title, but the Asian elephant takes the lead in this work that combines adventure, biography, and scientist-in-the-field observations. Chodosh illuminates the life of Sarma through episodes involving various elephants and his groundbreaking work to learn how to treat them and how to encourage their conservation. Stories of Sarma working to save captive and wild elephants are vividly described; scientific information is woven throughout. Black-and-white photographs accompany the text. Readers join rescue missions that are exciting, dangerous, and heartwarming. The plight of the Asian elephant is described in detail. The controversies around keeping these creatures in captivity are openly discussed as well as the challenges of environmental changes that manifested because of tea plantations. Sarma’s connection to and empathy for these complicated, engaging animals are infectious. Readers who want to make a connection with the Asian elephant will not be disappointed in this absorbing read.
VERDICT This engaging narrative, which is part biography, part veterinary science, and a full appreciation of the Asian elephant, aims to honor the wonder of the elephant and the cultures of the people that share their environment.
Booklist, Star Review
Transforming notes taken during several extended visits and interviews into anecdotal narrative, Chodosh profiles Kushal Konwar Sarma, a veterinarian from Assam who specializes in elephants. Whether administering mega enemas, organizing a hoist to get a pachyderm safely back on its feet, or hurrying to sedate and recapture a killer bull in musth–a mating-season hormonal frenzy–before authorities can order it shot, Dr, Sarma brings such open affection for the animals to his challenging line of work that readers can’t help but respond in kind. Assam is one of the last places with a viable population of wild Asian elephants, and along with general background observations about elephant behavior and anatomy, the author both describes current conservation efforts (like keeping greenways open between the area’s immense tea plantations so that migratory groups will find food and clean water) and suggests ways of supporting those efforts from the Western side of the world. And while vividly showing the doctor in action treating wild, working, and even circus elephants, she doesn’t shy away from frankly inviting readers to examine their own feelings about keeping elephants captive. Whatever those feelings may be, these encounters make riveting reading. The doctor poses fetchingly with some of his “patients in the sparse assortment of black-and-white photos.
Endorsements
“The world urgently needs to agree to leave room for the other animals, and the most powerful argument for doing so comes in the form of stories from the front line of compassion. Janie Chodosh’s fine book tells, in intimate detail, a story of longing, of dedication, of determination that these magical and mysterious and profound beings we call elephants must never lose their foothold in existence on Earth.” -Carl Safina, author of Becoming Wild; How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace, and of Beyond Words; What Animals Think and Feel
“The Elephant Doctor of India is the heart-quickening true story of a boy who grew up loving elephants and grew up to forge a maverick path to help them. Dramatic, moving, and packed with fascinating elephant facts, young readers will find inspiration and excitement on every page. No matter what age you are, if you love elephants, you will love this book.” -Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness, and of How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals
“An inspired reading of compassion and humanity, all in the service of our remarkable planet. Required reading for everyone who dreams of making a difference.” -Sneed B Collard III, author of Hopping Ahead of Climate Change: Snowshoe Hares, Science, and Survival
“The Elephant Doctor of India is a great read about a very special veterinarian in India. Janie Chodosh has captured the warmth, dedication and personality of Dr. Kushal Sarma perfectly. This is an elephant doctor who considers the weekend just two extra days to help elephants needing his care. Janie Chodosh shares the joy of Dr. Sarma’s many successful medical outcomes and the sad reality of those patients who cannot be saved. Each house call in The Elephant Doctor of India is an adventure in the determination to serve, and occasionally a bit of hilarity.” -Linda Reifschneider, president and founder of Asian Elephant Support