Mahouts are elephant trainers, and their historic relationship with elephants has been much like the American cowboy's relationship with horses. Fitzgerald describes a visit to a mahout camp: "Within minutes of arriving we were quickly reminded that we were in the company of people who know how to live outdoors. The mahouts fashioned three ovens using mud from the forest floor. Lek and others gathered plants from the jungle, and within minutes a delicious dinner for 20 had been served and consumed."