Kottoor Soman

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Kottoor Soman
Konni elephent soman (cropped).jpg
Species Elephas maximus (Asian Elephant)
SexMale
Bornc. 1942 (age 82)
Konni, Kerala, India
Nation fromIndian
Owner Kerala Forest Department

Kottoor Soman (c. 1942), [1] also known as Konniyil Soman and Kottur Soman, is an Asian elephant, born in India. A retired kumki, he was represented in 2020 to be the oldest living elephant in the world, owned by the Kerala Forest Department, but the claim of birth year has not been confirmed, which is why his submission into Guinness Book of Records was rejected. [2]

Contents

In fact, the longest-living elephant in the world was Vatsala, a female elephant who lived in the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, India. She died on Wednesday, 9 July 2025. She remains the only elephant known to have lived 100 years or longer. [3]

History

The forest department of Kerala procured Soman from Thekkuthodu Kepramala area of Ranni Forest Division in 1968, which is the earliest confirmed record. After taking him to Konni elephant camp, he was trained and served as a kumki. [4] Many elephants were trained under Soman until 1977, after which the government banned the capture of forest elephants. [5]

In October 2020, an event was organised at the Kottur Elephant Sanctuary and Rehabilation Centre, where Soman was honoured by the other elephants in the sanctuary, as the authority was preparing to enter him into Guinness World Record for the oldest elephant, after his purported 78th birthday. [6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Profile, elephant.se. Accessed 1 June 2024.
  2. ↑ കുമാർ, ബി അജിത്. "Kotur Elephant Grandfather to enter into Guinness book of records". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  3. ↑ Asia's oldest elephant 'Vatsala' dies at Panna Tiger Reserve; MP CM pays tributes, thehindu.com. Accessed 12 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "തലയുയര്‍ത്തി ആനമുത്തച്ഛന്‍ ഗിന്നസിലേയ്ക്ക്". ETV Bharat News. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  5. ↑ ഡെസ്ക്, വെബ് (9 October 2020). "പ്രായത്തിൽ മുന്നിൽ; കോന്നി സോമൻ ഗിന്നസ് റെേക്കാഡിലേക്ക്". Madhyamam. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  6. ↑ "Oldest living elephant; Soman honoured". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
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