(NP) - World's Largest Elephant 'Missing'

December 7, 2007

World's largest elephant 'missing' from Bardiya jungle, may even be dead

The world's largest known Asian elephant has gone " missing " from its

habitat in Royal Bardiya National Park in southwestern Nepal, with

officials fearing that it might be dead.

Named Raja Gaj (meaning the elephant king) because of its sheer size, the

male elephant had a shoulder height of 3.5 meters, or nearly 12 feet,

making him as tall as an African bull elephant and the center of tourist

attraction in the 968 square-kilometer park which features several other

species as well as one of the last remaining wild herds of Asian elephants

in the world.

Reports say that Raja Gaj was also the subject of many scientific

speculations several years ago, as his sheer size and peculiarly domed head

led some to wonder if he might be a genetic throwback to extinct species

such as the mammoths and mastodons. However, a DNA test later confirmed

that he was a regular Asian elephant.

Chief conservation officer Phanindra Kharel said the elephant has not been

spotted in the park or its vicinity for the past year and feared that

there's possibility that poachers may have killed the giant mammal. " But we

can't confirm it yet, " Kharel said.

Asian elephants, with about 60,000 living individuals both wild and

domesticated, are far outnumbered by their larger African cousins and are

considered an endangered species. nepalnews.com ag Dec 06 07

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