As the World Wildlife Day is marked today, TOBI IJALANA chronicles the lives of Chenkallor Dakshayani, Shirley and Tyranza, believed to be the world’s oldest elephants.
Chenkallor Dakshayani (Born 1930)
The Asian Elephant was a gift to the Thiruvarattu Kavu at Attingal by the erstwhile royal family of Travancore when she was six years old to Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).
According to the Guinness Records, the oldest elephant on Earth ever was Lin Wang of Taiwan Zoo that died age 86 in 2003.
However, Chenkallor Dakshayani of Kerala, India became 87 years old as of July 18, 2017 is now currently the oldest known elephant in the world and was heavily featured in the news in 2016 when she was bestowed with the title of ‘Gaja Muthassi’ (Grandma elephant).
The Indian Postal Service even honored Dakshayani with a stamp cover.
Reportedly it has never attacked any one.
Shirley (1948)
Shirley was born in 1948. At age five, she was captured from the wilds of Asia and purchased by Dori Miller, owner of Carson and Barnes and Kelly Miller Circuses.
Shirley is the oldest elephant at The Elephant Sanctuary and the third oldest Asian elephant in North America.
Recently, in early July 2018, She celebrated her 70th birthday in Tennessee, USA.
Since the sanctuary isn’t sure of the exact date of Shirley’s birth, they typically celebrate her special day on July 6th, the day she first came to the abode, becoming the fourth resident of The Elephant Sanctuary, joining Tarra, Jenny, and Barbara.
Unfortunately, Shirley suffered several injuries while being used as a circus animal, including severe burns on her back and legs. Eventually, when Shirley’s body had become too damaged to continue performing, she was sold to the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe, Louisiana.
Upon her arrival, Shirley recognised Jenny and after some research the sanctuary determined that she and Jenny had been in the same circus.
Their reunion and story were subject of an Emmy-winning National Geographic documentary, “The Urban Elephant.”
Tyranza (1946)
She is known as the oldest female African Elephant in the United States.
She was born in 1964 and originally lived in the wild but now in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
In 1977, Tyranza retired from the Ringling Brothers Circus and was relocated to the Memphis Zoo where she currently resides.
She has celebrated her 54th birthday on July 12, 2018 with her elephant buddies Asali and Gina.
According to The Memphis zoo, Tyrzana (“Ty” for short) is the oldest North African elephant in North America.
Memphis Zoo keeper, Houston Winbigler, said that Ty first came to the zoo over 30 years ago.
Ty is considered The Memphis Zoo’s elephant patriarch and she loves to have her tongue scratched.
Ty and the other elephants’ presence at the zoo has helped them to raise over $15,000 for Elephants for Africa, an organisation whose goal is to resolve elephant and human conflicts in Africa.
Ty and Winbigler will be spending less time together when he retires in the Fall, but he still hopes he can visit her once in a while.
She and her colleagues are among nature’s most intelligent creatures, known for the lifelong bonds they establish with other members of their herds, but their survival is a matter of great concern.
SOURCES and photo credits: www.oldest.org; Travancore Devaswom Board, YouTube, Elephant Sanctuary and the Memphis Zoo.
