Gained fame for his love of rice, often raiding homes and shops in search of his favourite staple

Mysore/Mysuru: On Tuesday, Nov. 1, elephant ‘Akki Raja’ or ‘Vinayagan’ died due to a massive cardiac arrest at the Rampura Elephant Camp, part of the Ainooru Maarigudi Range in the Hediyala Sub-Division of Bandipur Tiger Reserve. 

‘Akki Raja,’ a 45-year-old elephant, gained fame for his preference for rice, which led him to raid homes and fair-price shops in search of his favourite staple. After his capture, Forest Department officials were also planning to train him to be the next Howdah-carrying Elephant. 

Akki Raja’s journey began when he was initially captured in Coimbatore in 2021 and subsequently released into the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. However, after causing disturbances by searching for rice in Yelchetty village in Bandipur, the Karnataka Forest Department captured him in June 2023, relocating him to the Rampura Camp.

While in captivity, Akki Raja was housed in a ‘kraal,’ a wooden structure designed to restrict the movement of captured wild elephants and it soon became evident that he had exceptional behaviour. He responded well to instructions and swiftly grasped commands. 

Given his impressive behaviour and lack of aggression, a decision was made to release him into the vast camp area after four months inside the kraal. Tragically, just ten days after regaining his freedom, he succumbed to a severe heart attack.

From Tamil Nadu to Karnataka 

His story traces back to 2018 when he was one of two male elephants causing crop damage in the forest villages of Tadagam in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. Lovingly named ‘Chinnadambi’ and ‘Vinayagan’ by the locals, their recurring troubles prompted authorities to capture and transfer them to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.

 ‘Chinnadambi’ was initially released into the Annamalai Tiger Reserve with a radio collar for tracking, while Vinayagan found refuge in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary. However, the issues persisted, resulting in Chinnadambi’s relocation to the Pollachi Elephant Camp, where he now serves as a kumki elephant.

Vinayagan, having previously caused disturbances and conflicts, transformed into a ‘rogue’ elephant. This led the Tamil Nadu Forest Department to classify him as dangerous due to his continued raids on villages. A radio collar was fitted on him, but it snapped while he rubbed his head and neck against a tree. 

This incident allowed him to evade capture attempts and he subsequently ventured into Karnataka, causing extensive crop damage in villages surrounding Kundakere area of Bandipur. His penchant for raiding homes and fair-price shops in search of rice earned him the moniker ‘Akki Raja.’

Exemplary behaviour

In a bid to address the escalating elephant-human conflict, Akki Raja was captured near Kundakere on July 7, 2023, and relocated to Rampura Camp. Inside the kraal, Akki Raja exhibited exemplary behaviour, responding well to the commands of his mahouts. When he was brought out of the kraal, he bent his front legs as a gesture of greeting.

In the ten days preceding his sudden demise, Akki Raja and his fellow elephants enjoyed a nutritious diet at the camp. Tragically, on the afternoon of Oct. 31, around 2 o’clock, he abruptly collapsed. Veterinarians Dr. Wasim Mirza and Dr. Mujeeb Rehman made efforts to provide medical treatment. 

Later it became evident that his heart had significantly deteriorated, beyond the normal parameters for elephants and liver complications were also identified during the subsequent post-mortem examination.

Dr. P. Ramesh Kumar, Director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, said that a post-mortem examination indicated cardiomegaly, with the elephant’s heart being three times the size of a typical elephant’s heart. Biological samples from the viscera were collected and sent to the laboratory for scientific analysis before the deceased elephant was laid to rest at the camp. 

The post-mortem examination was conducted in the presence of Hediyala ACF Paramesh, RFO Puneeth and Rajkumar, a representative of an NGO.