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India’s ‘granny’ elephant dies aged 88

An Asian elephant believed to be the oldest ever in captivity has died aged 88 in the southern Indian state of Kerala, officials said yesterday. Awarded the title of “Gaja Muthassi” (elephant granny), Dakshayani took part in temple rituals and processions for decades, but breathed her last on Tuesday after becoming reluctant to eat, her veterinary surgeon said. “At 3 pm, a sudden shiver passed through her large frame beginning from the head region. After a few minutes she bent her forelimbs and lay down. And that was it,” T. Rajeev said.

The Travancore Devaswom Board, which owned Dakshayani, gave her age as 88. The oldest elephant in captivity recognised by Guinness World Records was aged 86 -- Lin Wang, another Asian elephant which died in 2003 in a Taiwan zoo. Captive elephants have a life expectancy of 40-plus years. Pineapples and carrots had been introduced to Dakshayani’s diet in recent years to improve her metabolism after she began to have difficulty moving around, probably due to reduced eyesight.

“For the past three years she did not take part in any temple programme or public function,” Rajeev said. “And a couple of months back, we had even moved her to a better tethering place at an elephant farm in Thiruvananthapuram.” Wildlife conservationists such as P.S. Easa have criticised the practice of keeping elephants in captivity, regardless of their conditions.

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