Vatsala, elephant touted oldest in captivity, dies aged over 100

Straits Times

09-07-2025

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Vatsala was believed to have been born in the forests of Nilambur, Kerala sometime in the 1920s.
Vatsala, thought to be the world's oldest elephant in captivity, died on July 8 at a wildlife sanctuary in India's Madhya Pradesh state.
She was believed to be over 100 years old, though there are no records proving that as fact.
The Guinness World Record holder for oldest elephant in captivity is still Lin Wang.
He died at a zoo in Taiwan in 2003 aged 86, and served with the British Army in World War II.
Dakshyani – another elephant in India – had also been in the running for the title.
She, too, died in captivity in 2019, and her supporters said she managed to reach the ripe old age of 88.
As far as the state government of Madhya Pradesh is concerned, however, Vatsala surpassed these two – all three were Asian elephants – in age by about 20 years.
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Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in a post on X, said: 'The century-long companionship of Vatsala came to a pause.'
'She was not merely an elephant; she was the silent guardian, a friend to generations and a symbol of Madhya Pradesh's emotions,' he said.
If she indeed reached the century mark, she would have lived through the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, and 18 American presidents.
Elephants live on average for about 50 to 70 years.
Wildlife experts say that by the age of 70, elephants typically lose their tusks.
Vatsala had been without tusks since 2000.
She was believed to have been born in the late 1910s in the forests of Nilambur, Kerala.
She was brought to Narmadapuram city, in Madhya Pradesh, in 1971 to haul timber. Going by Indian officials and wildlife experts' estimates , she was already in her 50s.
In 1993, she was moved to the Panna Tiger Reserve where she helped rangers track tigers.
She retired in 2003.
The years that followed saw her play the role of 'Dadi Maa' (grandmother in Hindi ) to young elephants and calves at an elephant sanctuary, where she was a top tourist attraction.
'She had a motherly nature. I've seen her lovingly caress and guide the young ones as if they were her own. Her death is an emotional loss for the reserve staff and others who knew her,' said wildlife conservationist Rajesh Dixit.
'It is sad that her name could not be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records,' he said.
Vatsala slipped into a drain and suffered injuries a few days prior to her death .
She was given round-the-clock medical care and a special fruit-and-porridge diet, but her condition deteriorated.
Cataracts also affected her vision and limited her mobility.
Vatsala was cremated at the Hinauta elephant camp that had been her home for decades.