Asia’s oldest elephant female, Vatsala who is also called as ‘Dadi Maa’ and ‘Nani Maa’ has died at more than 100 years of age at the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. She succumbed to multiple organ failure, even though she was always attended by veterinarians at the reserve.
Her death marks a sad day for Indian wildlife conservation. Vatsala holds a record as the oldest elephant in Asia. She she was a symbol of love, dedication and care to animal welfare. Born in Kerala’s dense Nilambur forests, she started life as a working elephant in the timber trade. Soon after she brought to Madhya Pradesh in 1971. Vatsala was relocated to Panna in 1993. She eventually became an important part of the conservation activities of the reserve.
Vatsala’s was in tiger tracking expeditions
Vatsala was a key participant in tiger tracking expeditions. She had done patrolling operations during her early years at PTR. She formally retired in 2003, however her service did not cease there. She was famous for being a maternal figure and became the caregiver of younger elephants and even helped deliver calves, giving her the fond nickname of a “midwife” among forest personnel.
PTR Field Director Anjana Suchita Tirkey, Deputy Director Mohit Sood, and wildlife veterinarian Sanjeev Gupta went to Hinauta camp, where Vatsala lived out her final days, to offer their last respects. Her cremation was performed with complete honour, marking the great love and respect she had.
Why Vatsala was special to caretakers?
The main thing that made Vatsala everyone’s favourite was her emotional bond and kind heart with her caretakers. Most of those visitors who previously had the chance to interact with her wrote in social media and shared sweet photographs and videos by remembering their time spent with the legendary elephant.
Forest staff and wildlife lovers are grieving her death, terming it the conclusion of a golden chapter. Brijendra Pratap Singh, BJP MLA of the Panna Assembly seat has also expressed his grief, and said, “Vatsala’s dignity and love were deeply intertwined with the character of Panna Tiger Reserve.”
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
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