At 86, Dakshayani shows no signs of ageing and looks fit as she gets all set to enter the Guinness World Records as the oldest living elephant.
The Travancore Devasom Board (TDB), the owner of the elephant,- has already written to the Guinness authorities staking claim to Dakshayani being the oldest living elephant in the world.
The TDB owns 1,250 temples in south Kerala districts, including the famed Sabarimala temple. They have 33 elephants which take part in the festivals of their temples.
TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan said records show that Dakshayani is the oldest.
“As a first step to enter the Guinness, we are honouring her on Wednesday, and we will be working towards this. On the day a special postal cover of Dakshayani from the Kerala Circle Postal Service would be issued,” he said.
“Of the 10 elephants that the TDB had since its inception in 1949, only Dakshayani and another elephant alive now. She was gifted to the TDB by the erstwhile Travancore Royal family,” said the TDB president.
He also said three mahouts who tended to Dakshayani and are now retired and two other mahouts who take care of her presently too will be honoured tomorrow.
“On the same day we will bring out a directory of the 33 elephants that are owned by us and would include the entire history of every elephant,” said Gopalakrishnan, adding now there are scientific ways to determine the age of an elephant.
Dr T Rajeev, a veterinarian looking after Dakshayani for the past six years, certifies that she is in good health. According to Rajeev, Dakshayani has a strong dislike for hypodermic needles.
“She will not allow me to administer injections to her. Whenever I visit her, she would look whether I carry a syringe. If a syringe or needle is spotted she gets agitated,” he said.
Elephant expert and assistant professor at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Dr Arun Zachariah said captive elephants live longer than wild pachyderms.