Kottur Soman ( 1942) is the oldest living elephant in the world, owned by the
Kerala Forest Department.
The forest department of Kerala procured Soman from Thekkuthodu Kepramala area of
Ranni Forest Division in 1968. After taking him to Konni elephant camp, he was trained and turned into a good
Kumki elephant. Many elephants were trained under Soman until 1977, after which the government banned capturing of elephants from forest. In October 2020, an event was organised in the
Kottur elephant sanctuary, where Soman was honoured by the other elephants in the sanctuary, as the authority was preparing to enter him into
Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
for the oldest elephant, after his 78th birthday.
See also
*
List of individual elephants
*Abul-Abbas, Charlemagne's elephant
* Arjuna, lead elephant of the Mysore Dasara procession and carries the idol of the deity Chamundeshwari on the Golden Howdah
*Balarama, preceded Arjuna (see above); Golden Howdah-carrier between 1999 and 2011
...
References
1942 animal births
Individual elephants
Elephants in Indian culture
Individual animals in India
Elephants in Hinduism
Elephants in Kerala
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