Bijuli Prasad, India’s oldest elephant, dies at 89

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

New Delhi, Aug 22, 2023: Bijuli Prasad, the world’s oldest Asiatic elephant, who lived royally in the tea gardens of Assam has died. The majestic jumbo age is estimated to be 89 years.

Bijuli Prasad breathed his last at the Behali tea estate of The Williamson Magor Group around 3.30 am due to age-related issues, news agency PTI reported.

 

Prasad was named by his master Oliver Sahib from England. People who were associated with the jumbo including animal lovers, tea garden workers as well as locals gathered to mourn the death of the majestic jumbo.

"Bijuli Prasad was a symbol of pride for The Williamson Magor Group. It was first brought to the Bargang tea estate as a calf, and later shifted here after the Bargang tea estate was sold off by the company," an official of the tea garden said.

Padma Shri awardee and famous elephant surgeon Dr Kushal Konwar Sarma told PTI, "As far as my knowledge is concerned, Bijuli Prasad was the oldest recorded domestic elephant in India." Usually, the wild Asiatic elephants live up to 62-65 years, while the domestic ones survive till around 80 years with proper care, he said.

"After all its teeth fell off around 8-10 years ago, Bijuli Prasad could not eat anything and was about to die. Then I went there and treated him. I had changed all his regular food and started mostly boiled food like rice and soybean with high protein value. This increased his longevity," Dr Sarma said.