India’s oldest domestic elephant died on Monday in the Behali Tea Estate, Assam. The elephant named ‘Bijuli Prasad’ belonged to the Sonitpur district of Assam. This majestic jumbo elephant had been facing some growing age health issues for a very long time.
He slept on Sunday night, and on Monday morning, the mahout found him motionless. He had passed away suddenly but peacefully.
Early Life of Bijuli Prasad
Bijuli Prasad was rescued from the wild in 1940 by the family of Ranjeet Dutta who was the current local MLA. He was sold by the family to Williamson Magor & Co Ltd. in 1950 for around Rs 3000. He was very young at that time.
The elephant was named by Philip Magor
Bijuli was named by Philip Magor, who frequently visited from the UK. Over time, the elephant became an integral part of the Borgang tea estate in Assam’s Sonitpur district.
‘Bijuli Prasad was a source of pride for our company’, said Ujjal Basnet, deputy manager of Behali tea estate.
The majestic jumbo was a steadfast worker in the tea plantation. He gave his services from 1950 to 2018 to the tea estate and eventually relocated to the nearby Behali tea estate. Ujjal Basnet, the deputy manager of Behali tea estate said that Bijuli Prasad was a source of pride for their company. They also employed two mahouts to care for him and a priest for his worship, even though he had retired long ago.
However, the life of wild Asiatic elephants lasts up to 60-65 years, but Bijuli Prasad lived for 89 years. He became the oldest domestic elephant due to the care and admiration he received throughout his life. Deepak Sharma, a local, said that the exact birth date of Bijuli Prasad is unknown, but he is estimated to be 89 years. Furthermore, he added that the first two oldest elephants in India were in Kaziranga and Mahisur. Unfortunately, after the death of these two elephants, Bijuli earned the title of the oldest domestic elephant in India.
Bijuli’s journey, from a wild capture elephant to a beloved companion, highlights the deep bond between humans and nature.
