A 100-year-old elephant, said to be Asia’s oldest, died in a central Indian wildlife reserve on Wednesday, prompting a wave of mourning from forest officials, villagers and animal lovers.
Vatsala, a tuskless female, spent the last three decades of her life in the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh state where she was affectionately referred to as Dadi, meaning grandmother, by staff and caretakers.
She collapsed near a forest drain close to the Hinauta Elephant Camp on Wednesday afternoon, forest officials said. Despite efforts by veterinarians and forest rangers, Vatsala died at around 1.30pm, NDTV reported.
Originally from Kerala’s Nilambur Forest Division, she spent her early years transporting forest produce. Vatsala was relocated to Madhya Pradesh in 1972 and moved to Panna in 1993.
She was retired from duty in 2004, but continued to play a vital role in the camp.
“She was our pride,” Panna field director Anjana Suchita Tirkey told Indian media.
“She led the herd with dignity. During deliveries, it was Vatsala who stood close, like an experienced midwife, giving strength and calm. She wasn’t just the oldest – she was the soul of our elephant family.”
With heavy hearts, we bid farewell to Vatsala, >100-old matriarch of Panna Tiger Reserve. Her gentle presence inspired awe in all who met her. Thank you, Vatsala, for countless rescue operations & nurturing many Elephant calves. Your legacy lives on. 🐘🙏 pic.twitter.com/DJ9vmhoGPl
— Anupam Sharma, IFS (@AnupamSharmaIFS) July 8, 2025
Maniram Gond, her mahout for 30 years, told The Times of India that Vatsala never got angry. “She was like a grandmother,” he said. “Even in her last years, when she was fully blind, she'd lift her trunk the moment I called her name.”
Vatsala never mated, Mr Gond told the daily. She survived two violent attacks in 2003 and 2008 by a male elephant named Ram Bahadur who wanted to mate with her. The first left her with torn intestines and required more than 200 stitches. She recovered after nine months of treatment.
Although she had no calves of her own, staff said she acted as a natural matriarch to younger elephants in the camp, often walking beside them or comforting them during illness or deliveries.
In her final years, she was blind and suffered from digestive issues. Caretakers hand-fed her porridge and helped her move around the camp.
Her body was cremated at the Hinauta camp, her final home. No official Guinness World Record could be issued due to missing documentation from her early years, but forest officials estimated she was well over 100.
Asian elephants typically live up to 60 years in the wild and while individuals in captivity might live longer with access to veterinary care, Vatsala’s age was exceptional.
Elephants, listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, are protected in India under the Wildlife Protection Act.
The South Asian nation is home to more than 27,000 wild elephants, representing over 50 per cent of the Asian elephant population. Their habitat is shrinking, however, and human-elephant conflict remains a major concern.
