Elephant goad

Common card · No. 321235

The elephant goad, bullhook, or ankusha is a tool employed by mahout in the handling and training of elephants. The pointed tip of an elephant goad or a bullhook could be used to stab the elephant's head if the elephant charged nearby people, risking injury or death to the rider and bystanders. The elephant goad consists of a hook (usually bronze or steel) which is attached to a 60–90 cm (2.0–3.0 ft) handle, ending in a tapered end. A relief at Sanchi and a fresco at the Ajanta Caves depict a three-person crew on the war elephant, the driver with an elephant goad, what appears to be a noble warrior behind the driver and another attendant on the posterior of the elephant. Nossov and Dennis (2008: p. 19) report that two perfectly preserved elephant goads were recovered from an archaeological site at Taxila and are dated from 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE according to Marshall. The larger of the two is 65 cm (26 in) long. Nossov and Dennis (2008: p. 16) state: An ankusha, a sharpened...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Original drawing MittlererWeg Derivative vector art Jdcollins13, CC BY-SA 3.0