Dr.K.C.Panicker-an elephant expert from Kerala

Dr.K.Chandrashekhara Panicker mostly known as 'Anapanicker' is working for the conservation of elephants for 45 years and currently the Secretary of the Elephant Protection Society, Thrissur. He had done a lot of research in the field of the common ailments and treatments of elephants. He is the first one who scientifically classified the treatments of the elephants and these researches captured the attraction of the world. He was working as a Professor and the Dept. Head of the Parasitological Dept. of Kerala Agricultural University veterinary college, Mannuthy and he is an elephant disease expert in Kerala. He had tranquilized 500 musth elephants. In this world record he got commentable help from his colleagues Dr.Radhakrishna Kaimal and Dr. Jacob V Cheeran. He is the author of the book 'Aana Kathayum Karyavum' the book is a reference book for elephants in Malayalam. Now he is working to build awareness among common man to stop cruelty towards this huge creature and he has also plans to raise funds to build a crematorium for elephants. He hopes that more youngsters will come into the field of elephant research.
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Kerala Flowers Banana Ashoka chethi

Pinnawala elephant Orphanage, Srilanka

25 Acres of land transformed to forest, habitat for 82 elephants in Srilanka. They can move around freely, the centre has only 35 mahouts. They can play in the river Mahaweli. Its also a natural breeding centre for elephants. Programs to start artificial insemination is going on. Every elephant is given 75Kg of food every day. The main food is coconut leaves.
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Elephants under the threat of extinction

Social worker and the famous Animal lover of India Mrs. Maneka Gandhi comments that elephants are under the threat of extinction. The main reasons for this situation are Poachers, habitat loss, capturing of elephants for various purposes, human elephant conflict and the lack of breeding among tamed elephants. She says that we have only less than 800 bulls in the country. Bull elephants are the targets of poachers, their number is decreasing alarmingly. Our training methods are also brutal and premitive.

News from June 2000BBC News
http://www.elephant-kerala.com/

Art of elephant keeping

The first woman mahout of Asia
Nibha, have a post graduation in Zoology had started a paliative care clinic for abused elephants in her home at Kodeeri Mana, Thiroor. She was very craze about the elephants from her childhood. After her PG she spent four years to study about these pachyderms.More


A Foreigner to train elephants

Ilja Tromb from Netherlands is now at Kerala to study the art of elephant keeping from mahouts of Punnathoorkotta the largest elephant sanctuary in Asia. She is planning to do a paper on elephant management. For this she wants to know more about the relation between the mahout and the elephant, elephant's body language and communication between the elephant and mahout. The main obstacle for her study is the language. Her teacher the mahout Sathyapalan appreciates her hardwork and devotion.

News from Mathrubhumi on October 2003

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Pygmey elephants in Borneo

The elephants are smaller in size with large ears, straight tusks and longer tails. They are considered to be a sub species. They are isolated for 300,000 years from their relatives in Asia.
The news from BBC

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Thara from Punnathoorkotta

The senior most member of Punnathoor kotta. 70 years old. She came to the punnathoor kotta in 1957. She had caught from the forest near Palakkadu(Nellikkaledath). Kamala Circus company donated her to Guruvayoor. She knows all the rituals of Guruvayur temple.


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War with the world but peace with the elephant

"It is the most affectionate creature, more than a dog"-Abraham Thomas Kanjirappally about elephants..

Palakkunnam Estate, 108 Acre Rubber Estate situated at Kanjirappally, Kerala is a burial ground for elephants. 79 year old Abraham Thomas who is the owner, who explains himself as an 'ottayan' rogue elephant celebrates his life with spirits of 47 elephants. He has 7 living elephants. He provide the space and give assistance to remove the tusk. He is belonged to the oldest malpan family of Kerala. He had also built up the tomb for each of the graves.
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Elephant tusk

Tusks are enlarged upper incisor teeth. In African Elephant both male and female have tusks. But in Asian Elephants only bulls have tusks. The visible tusk consists of dentine covered with enamel. This dentine is known as the Ivory. The cross-section of the tusk give a diamond shaped pattern. This pattern is unique in elephant's tusk. Ivory has been called as 'white gold' and its price sometimes exceed the price of gold. More

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Ezhara ponnana and Aaranmula Kannadi

The Ezhara Ponnana Darshanam is in Mahadeva temple of Ettumanoor. 7 elephants with 2 feet height and one small elephant with 1 feet height are called 'Ezharaponnana'. The display of this wonder is in 8th day of the festival of the temple. These elephants are made of jackwood(varikka plavu). The wooden elephants are covered with golden plates. The legend behind these elephants is a story based on Anizham Thirunal Marthandavarma. Once he attacked the Ettumanoor, during the war the temple got damaged. After that the king and his family had suffered illness and other myseries. Then to propitiate the great Ettumanoorappa he offered 'Ezharaponnana' with 'thotti, valar'and a 'Pazhukkakkula' in gold.

Aaranmula kannadi is a unique work of Kerala...

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Elephant Quiz

1. The largest land living animal-(Ans-African elephant)
2. A new born elephant calf may approximately equal to -(Ans-70-130Kg)
3. Difference between Asian female and African female-(Ans-African female have tusks)
4. The number of muscles in the trunk-(Ans-100,000)
5. Trunk is an extension of- (Ans-upper lip and nose)
6. Asian Elephant's ear is -----times smaller than their African Counterpart(Ans-3)
7. Which part of the body of the elephant regulates the temparature-(Ans-Ear)
8. Elephant eat ------of fodder every day(Ans-200-300Kg)
9. What is 'White gold'?(Ans-Elephant Ivory)
10. The other animal having Ivory teeth-(Ans-Walrus)

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Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran

The hero of elephant lovers of Kerala. Today in E4 elephant the Director of the famous program Mr. Seeekumar Arookkootti asked to a mahout about his favourite elephant. His answer was Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran because of his manliness. According to his opinion there are two elephants in Kerala which have not any faminine characters.

1. Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran
2. Kanjirakkattu Gajendran

Some years ago Ramachandran climbed up to the first floor of a building after the punishments of the mahout. At the top he frightened to come down then a crane was used to lift him down. The contractor who had built the building became famous for the strong construction. The cement used for the building also got famous after this incident.

http://www.elephant-kerala.com/

Different names of Elephant

Nagam, Gajam, Hasthi, Varanam, Mathangam, Kunjaram, Padmi, Dwitham, Ashtakaprahari

Elephant news and elephant science


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Elephant ornaments

We are all familiar with nettippattom, muthukkuda, Aalavattom and venchamaram. More about the ornaments of elephants.

Kizhakku kizhakkoraana....More songs based on elephants..

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Punnathoor Kotta

This 'aanakotta' or 'anathavalam' is located in Kottappadi;about 2Km away from the famous Guruvayoor Temple, provides home to more than 62 elephants offered by the devotees to the Guruvayoor temple at different point of time. Earlier this Kotta was punnathur palace and now it is owned by Guruvayur Devaswom. it is a 10 acre compound, rich with greenery. More

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Elephant craze through generations

The great craze towards elephants made Mr.M Raghava kurup of Channanikkadu(near Chingavanam) the owner of more than 10 elephants. In his 16th he bought an elephant from Konni as fulfillment of his uncle's dream. The elephant cost was Rs.800/-. It was 76 years ago. After that he bought more than 50 elephants. His natives call him as 'Aanakkurupp'. He will participate in Gajamelas conducting by various temples. An elephant needs above Rs.500/- for the fodder and medicine every day. But he still finds money to nurture these pachyderms. Now he had crossed 90 years and had given his elephants to his children. More

In Kerala an elephant lover spent 15Lakhs for his pet elephant!!!!

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'Aanayottam' (Elephant race)

The most famous Aanayottam is conducted at the Guruvayur temple during the Utsavam. This will start from 'Manjulalthara'(Big banyan tree in the eastern entrance). The race ends at the flag post. During the race the elephants have to run 7 times around the temple. The elephant who wins will have the right to take the idol of Sri Guruvayurappa during the procession.
Legend behind the Aanayottam

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Asiad Appu

The celebrity mascot of the 1982 Asiad held at New Delhi died on 15th May 2005. The Kuttinarayanan was then 5 years old belonged to Guruvayoor Devaswom had risen to instant fame after the Asiad. He stole the minds of the viewers of the Asiad opening ceremony and won the appreciation of Mrs.Indira Gandhi and Mr.Rajiv Gandhi. More on the topic

For more about elephants....http://www.elephant-kerala.com/ 'Gajakesarikal' a book about the majestic elephants of Kerala in Malayalam by Mr.K.P.Raju an ardent lover of elephants. To know more about the book:phone-0481-2411733

Elephant Facts

• Elephants can perceive sound frequencies inaudible to humans. Some times they communicate each other through infrasonic waves. Large ears help them to receive a wide range of frequencies.
  
• Elephants always fan their ears; this action cools their body. Elephants have few sweat glands, so the fanning of the ears regulates the body temperature.
  
• Elephants travel a long distance in search of food
  
• Elephants trunkful water almost weighs 10L. He uses the trunk as a hose and pour this into the mouth.
• Bull elephants without tusks are called 'makhans'
• Most of theelephants have 18 nails, some of them have 20

Fast facts of elephants...

For more about elephants....http://www.elephant-kerala.com/ 'Gajakesarikal' a book about the majestic elephants of Kerala in Malayalam by Mr.K.P.Raju an ardent lover of elephants. To know more about the book:phone-0481-2411733

Elephant's food

Elephants spend most time of a day for eating...Large stomach ....Large appetite... Digestive system is inefficient to absorb maximum nutrients. So they eat approximately 250Kg of food everyday and 150L of water.
Elephant's favored food includes coconut leaves, palm leaves, bananas, mangoes, coconut, sugar cane, bamboo, berries, corn, jungle shrubs, palm fruits, wood apples, rice and jaggery.
More on the diet of Elephants

Smile please......

For more about elephants....http://www.elephant-kerala.com/ 'Gajakesarikal' a book about the majestic elephants of Kerala in Malayalam by Mr.K.P.Raju an ardent lover of elephants. To know more about the book:phone-0481-2411733

Aanayoottu

Picture of Pambadi Rajan for sale in the road side of Perunna temple during Thaipooya kavadi mahotsavam.

'Aanayoottu' is the ceremonial feeding of elephants. Nowadays its a common thing in almost all the processions of the temples. In this ritual medicinal food prepared specially to feed the elephants. During this ritual a lot of food is given to elephants and it leads to 'erandakettal' means constipation.
Perumbillissery Sajprasad an elephant who participated in aanayoottu procession after that started the constipation and died on August 2007. Coconut, jgggery, rice flakes, honey they are formed as a concrete like mix in his colon and this leads to his death. It is also observed that the food is given in plastic carry bags and this may also damage their health.

The auspicious elephant of Kerala Pambadi Rajan is also suffering from 'Erandakettu'. Reports indicates that now he is recovering from the illness. More on Pambady Rajan

For more about elephants....http://www.elephant-kerala.com/ 'Gajakesarikal' a book about the majestic elephants of Kerala in Malayalam by Mr.K.P.Raju an ardent lover of elephants. To know more about the book:phone-0481-2411733

Malayalappuzha Rajan got 'Gajarajapattom'

Malayalapuzha Rajan got 'Gajarajapattom'
The auspicious elephant of Kerala . He is very calm and have a height of 9.5 feets. He has beautifula tusks. Last year he got 125 chances to raise the idol in various places of Kerala. He has the record of taking the idol of 'Sri Dharmashastha' for the last 20 years. The authorities of Pallipparambu kavu Bhagawathy temple, at Thripunithura had honoured him with 'Gajarajan pattom'. He is from Konni elephant Kraal. Thiruvithamkur Devaswom Board had donated him to the famous Durga Temple, Malayalappuzha. Kochin Devaswom Board president and The Thripunithura MLA was also present at the function along with the large crowd of elephant lovers of Kerala. The auspicious signs of an elephant.

For more about elephants....http://www.elephant-kerala.com/ 'Gajakesarikal' a book about the majestic elephants of Kerala in Malayalam by Mr.K.P.Raju an ardent lover of elephants. To know more about the book:phone-0481-2411733

Jayaram's New year celebration

Jayaram, cine star of Kerala is a great elephant lover. His home is at Perumbavoor near to Malayattoor. From his childhood he had got the opportunity to watch the elephants and taming of wild elephants. Now he has two elephants and he is also very particular about the good personalities or signs of an elephant. Occasionally he visits Sonpur mela an open market of elephants. More

Jayram and family celebrated the new year moments with his elephant Kannan at River treat resort at Cheruthuruthy near Bharathappuzha. His wife Parvathi and children Kalidas and Malavika spent some nice time with the elephant.Every new year they come to the banks of the river Bharathappuzha to have a good start for the coming year. Now Pazhoor Chirakkal Thiruvanikkavu temple is looking after the Kannan. Jayaram is busy with the shooting schedule of a new film'Parthan Kanda Paralokam'. More about the elephant craze of Jayaram...


For more about elephants....http://www.elephant-kerala.com/ 'Gajakesarikal' a book about the majestic elephants of Kerala in Malayalam by Mr.K.P.Raju an ardent lover of elephants. To know more about the book:phone-0481-2411733