Bhubaneswar, Sept 28: “Stand” and they get up. “Sit” and they quietly sit down. At the command “Salute”, they raise their trunks. It may sound like a military drill, but this unique training is taking place at the Kumki Elephant Training Centre at Kumar Khunti.

Here, eight elephants are trained to follow their mahouts’ commands and perform different tasks. The centre currently houses nine elephants of different ages. Except for Shankar, the other elephants undergo regular training every morning.

But the biggest attraction here is the adorable duo—Kanha and Radhika.

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Around two years and two months old, Kanha was rescued from Champua range in Keonjhar on November 2, 2024. The calf was reportedly suffering from dehydration and injuries and had been separated from its mother and herd.

Radhika, meanwhile, was rescued from Narla in Kalahandi on September 16, 2024, when she was around one-and-a-half years old. After efforts to reunite her with her mother and herd failed, she was brought to Kumar Khunti.

Since then, the two calves have been inseparable.

They play together, dig the soil, and even engage in playful trunk fights. When Kanha falls down, Radhika extends her trunk to help him up. At times, Kanha brings branches and leaves for Radhika to eat.

Their unusual friendship has even surprised the mahouts.

According to Chandaka Range Officer Ashish Kumar, both calves arrived at the centre around the same time and have been together for nearly one-and-a-half years.

Today, Kanha and Radhika have become not just the star pupils of Kumar Khunti’s elephant school, but also a major attraction for visitors.