Social media user were given a glimpse of Vatsala, the 105-year-old elephant who is possibly the oldest surviving elephant in the world. Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda has shared a clip of the elephant at Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
"The oldest and the only elephant to be living beyond 100 years in the world," he tweeted. "Vatsala of Panna is credited to be the oldest living elephant at 105 years, older than the Changalloor, which died at the age of 89."
Chengallor Dakhshayani, who died in 2019, was then then oldest captive elephant in Asia and had made it to the Guinness World Records.
In the wild, Asian elephants have an average life span of about 60 years.
But, Vatsala had also played an important role in monitoring tigers in the reserve, the forest officer added.
The elephant had retired in 2010 after a ferrying timber and tourists for a large part of her life. At 105, the pachyderm is blind after losing vision to incurable cataract, but she manages to find her way around the camp just fine with the help of her trunk and other herd members, BusinessLine reported. She has also lost all her teeth.
The video, however, won hearts on social media.
"Vatsala--meaning loving or affectionate--a name appropriate for her. May god bless her with good health for many more years," tweeted Sonali Das.
Another Twitter user Bipin K wrote, "Looks very healthy for her age. Years ago when I saw an elephant in Guruvayoor that was aged about 80, it was almost blind and skeletal."
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