Bijuli Prasad, India's oldest Elephant Dies At 89 In Assam's Behali Tea Estate

India's oldest elephant, Bijuli Prasad, died at 89 in Assam's Sonitpuri district on Monday. The majestic tusker breathed his last at the Behali tea estate of the The Williamson Magor Group after suffering from age-related issues, officials said. 

The elephant was brought as a calf to the Borgang tea estate and later shifted to the Behali area. 

Bijuli Prasad was the oldest domestic Asiatic elephant who was loved by the tea garden workers and the locals of the area. On Monday, many animal lovers, tea garden workers as well as residents of the area gathered to mourn the death of the pachyderm. 

"Bijuli Prasad was a symbol of pride for The Williamson Magor Group. It was first brought to the Borgang tea estate as a calf, and later shifted here after the Bargang tea estate was sold off by the company," a tea garden official told news agency PTI. 

Post the mammoth's retirement, he was leading a "royal life" in the tea estate, officials said. 

"As far as my knowledge is concerned, Bijuli Prasad was the oldest recorded domestic elephant in India," Padma Shri awardee and famous elephant surgeon Dr Kushal Konwar Sarma said. 

Sarma said that the average lifespan of wild Asiatic elephants is between 62 to 65 years, while those domesticated survive around 80 with proper care. 

He said that all of Bijuli Prasad's teeth had fallen out about eight to ten years ago and he was not able to eat anything. 

"He was about to die. Then I went there and treated him. I had changed all his regular food and started mostly boiled food like rice and soybean with high protein value. This increased his longevity," Sarma added. 

A Behali tea estate official said that the elephant was provided with around 25 kilograms of food every day.