Kallana ( ml, കല്ലാന) is a suspected species of dwarf

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...

s allegedly found in

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

. Kaani

tribals The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

dwelling in the

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

s of the Western Ghats (

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, India) claim that there are two distinct varieties of elephants in the

Peppara The Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India. It consists of the catchment area of the Karamana River, which originates from Chemmunjimottai, the tallest hill within the sanctuary. The s ...

forest range, one the common

Indian elephant The Indian elephant (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of four extant recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List as the wild po ...

s (''Elephas maximus indicus''), and the other a dwarf variety which they call ''kallana''. The name ''kallana'' comes from the words "kallu", which means stones or boulders, and "aana", which means elephant. The tribals gave the creatures this name because they see the smaller elephant more often in the higher altitudes where the terrain is rocky. Some tribals also call the delicate creatures ''thumbiana'' (''thumbi'' means ''

dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

'') for the speed with which the pachyderms run through trees and rocks when disturbed.

Behaviour and diet

According to the Kani tribals, the pygmy elephants feed on grass,

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

leaves,

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

s and the

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

s of smaller trees. Like all elephants, they enjoy

bathing Bathing is the act of washing the body, usually with water, or the immersion of the body in water. It may be practiced for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes. By analogy, especially as a recreational activity, the term is ...

in rivers and they too have

dust bath Dust bathing (also called sand bathing) is an animal behavior characterized by rolling or moving around in dust, dry earth or sand, with the likely purpose of removing parasites from fur, feathers or skin. Dust bathing is a maintenance behavior ...

s. Unlike larger elephants, however, they seem able to negotiate steep, rocky inclines.

Sightings and claims of existence as a distinct species

The existence of a pygmy variety of elephant in India is yet to be scientifically ascertained. If the claims of Kani tribals are believed there are ample reasons to believe that the "kallana" they describe is a different (namely pygmy) variety of elephant since it is claimed to grow to a maximum height of 5 feet (1.5 metres), and they do not mix with the more common Indian elephants, even taking pains to avoid them. In all other respects, they look like

Indian elephants The Indian elephant (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of four extant recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List as the wild pop ...

. Sali Palode, a Kerala-based wildlife photographer, and Mallan Kani, a member of Kerala's Kani tribe, who were in search of this elusive elephant were able to photograph one such dwarf elephant, and even claim to have seen a herd. On 17 March 2010, the same Mallan Kani guided the photographer Benny Ajantha to a kallana and he took pictures. This was reported in the Malayalam daily

Malayala Manorama ''Malayala Manorama'' is a morning newspaper in Malayalam published from Kottayam, Kerala, India by the Malayala Manorama Company Limited. Currently headed by Mammen Mathew; it was first published as a weekly on 22 March 1888, and currently has ...

with a picture, but one needs to be captured and tested to see whether it is a separate species. The Kerala Forest Department has recently deputed search teams to the forests of Agasthyavanam, Neyyar and the

Wildlife Sanctuaries to search for the pygmy elephants. Video footage by Sali Palode and Dr Kamaruddheen attained media attention as well as government officials in studying about this, to confirm whether this is a new species. Some of the criticisms from experts is that all the sightings have been of solitary animals. This could be a sign of genetic aberration rather than a separate species. In 2013, a dwarf individual belonging to ''Elephas maximus'' was observed in Udawalawe National Park in southern Sri Lanka and scientifically documented.

References

{{Reflist Elephants in India Indian legendary creatures Purported mammals