- Vatsala, a 100-year-old tuskless female elephant believed to be Asia's oldest, passed away in India's Panna Tiger Reserve on Wednesday.
- Affectionately known as Dadi - meaning “grandmother” - by staff and caretakers, Vatsala spent the last three decades of her life at the reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
- She died after collapsing near the Hinauta Elephant Camp, despite efforts by veterinarians and forest rangers, having suffered from blindness and digestive issues in her final years.
- Vatsala was revered as a natural matriarch, guiding younger elephants and comforting them during illness or deliveries, despite never having had calves of her own.
- Her exceptional age, well beyond the typical elephant lifespan, prompted widespread mourning from forest officials and villagers, and her body was cremated at the camp.
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