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Bomman (The Elephant Whisperers) Biography: Age, Career, Family and Mo

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1971

Age52 Years (as of 2023)

BirthplaceMudumalai, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India

ProfessionMahout

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseBellie Amma

FamilyFather - Kunjan; son (deceased); stepdaughter (deceased)

Bomman (The Elephant Whisperers) Biography

K. Bomman is a veteran mahout from Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu who rose to international recognition after appearing in the Oscar-winning short documentary The

Early life and background

K. Bomman was born in 1971 in Mudumalai in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. He comes from a family connected to elephant care: his father, Kunjan, also worked as a mahout. Bomman belongs to the Kattunayakan community, one of the Scheduled Indian Tribes in the region, and follows Hindu traditions.

Career

Bomman began working with the Tamil Nadu forest department in 1984 and has spent decades as a mahout at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Over the years he has been involved in rescuing and caring for elephants found in distress across the reserve and nearby protected areas.

In 2017 he adopted a three-month-old male elephant calf named Raghu after the animal’s mother died from electrocution. That same year he rescued a female calf known as Bommi (also called Ammu) from the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve. Bommi was temporarily housed at the Mudumalai camp while authorities attempted to reunite her with a wild herd; when reunification proved unsafe, the Madras High Court directed that she be kept at Theppakadu, where Bomman took responsibility for her care. Initially Raghu reacted jealously to Bommi’s arrival, but the animals eventually accepted one another under Bomman and his wife’s stewardship.

Bomman’s daily life as a mahout and his bond with the elephants became the subject of a short documentary film. Filming began in 2017 and concluded in 2022; the film was released on Netflix in December 2022. In March 2023 the documentary won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film, bringing global attention to Bomman, his wife Bellie, and the rescued calves.

Public profile

The film’s international recognition led to several high-profile moments for Bomman and his family. In April 2023 the Prime Minister of India visited Theppakadu Elephant Camp and spent time with them and the elephants. In May 2023 former cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni presented personalised jerseys to Bomman and Bellie at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Also in 2023, following a Madras High Court order, Bomman was posted to Palacode forest in Dharmapuri to search for two elephant calves whose mothers had died after electrocution. He expressed a wish that, if he found those calves, the forest department would entrust their care to him.

Personal life

Bomman is married to Bellie Amma, who also works as a mahout at Theppakadu Elephant Camp. The family has endured personal tragedies: his son died while the documentary was being filmed, and a stepdaughter died after setting herself on fire in a local hospital. Bomman also serves as a priest in a Hindu temple and worships Ganesha.

Controversy

In August 2023 Bomman and Bellie served a legal notice to the documentary’s director seeking a monetary goodwill gesture. The notice, sent by a Chennai-based activist and lawyer on their behalf, referred to expectations of financial and educational assistance they say were made during the film’s production. The matter was publicly reported in Indian media.

Latest updates

After the film’s Oscar win, Bomman spoke about his pride in the recognition, noting that the documentary simply recorded the routine of his life and his bond with the elephants. In 2023 he continued to be active in elephant rescue work for the Tamil Nadu forest department and took assignments to locate and care for orphaned calves.

Bomman remains based at Theppakadu Elephant Camp in Mudumalai, where he continues his work with rescued elephants and his life alongside his wife and the animals that brought them international attention.
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Recent Work

The Elephant Whisperers

Short documentary film featuring Bomman, his wife Bellie, and the rescued calves Raghu and Bommi; released on Netflix in December 2022 and winner of the 2023 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film.

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Longtime mahout with the Tamil Nadu forest department since 1984
  2. Adopted and raised rescued calves Raghu and Bommi
  3. Featured in The Elephant Whisperers, which won the 2023 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film
  4. Posted in 2023 to Palacode forest to search for orphaned elephant calves
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Bomman (The Elephant Whisperers) born?

1971

What is Bomman (The Elephant Whisperers) known for?

Mahout

What is Bomman (The Elephant Whisperers)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Bomman (The Elephant Whisperers) married to?

Bellie Amma