Panna (Madhya Pradesh): Vatsala, perhaps one of the oldest surviving female elephants of India, is suffering from age-related ailments and has also lost her vision. Vatsala's age is estimated to be more than 100 years. According to the forest officials, the average lifespan of an elephant is 65 to 70 years.
She is, however, not left to fend for herself as she is taken care of by the employees of the reserve. She also now spends most of the time in her cage.
Vatsala who is currently living in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve was brought here in 1993 from Hoshangabad and since then she has been a centre of attraction. Before coming to Hoshangabad, Vatsala grew up in the Nilambur Forest of Kerala. She spent 50 years of her life there, after which she was brought to Hoshangabad in the year 1971. She completed 100 years of age in 2021. Vatsala was born in 1921.
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The administration of the Tiger reserve tried to register her name in the Guinness Book as the world's oldest elephant. But due to the non-availability of old documents related to Vatsala's age, her name has not been registered yet.
The department may not be getting the documents related to Vatsala's age, but Vatsala has been a witness to India's independence.
