Kattayan
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Varagaliar elephant camp in India

Biography

☨ ♂ Kattayan
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Alternative name:	Madukkarai Maharaj

Identification


Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Male ♂
Origin
Born:	* wild
Birth place:
Capture:	2016-06-19
Death
Dead:	†2016-06-21
Death reason:	accident: multiple fractures on its forehead and other injuries
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Varagaliar elephant camp, in India

Date of arrival

	Varagaliar elephant camp
Record history
History of updates	2020-09-28

Latest document update	2020-10-18 06:25:24
Google map

† Kattayan is a dead Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 2016-06-21 at Varagaliar elephant camp, in India, . Official death reason described as multiple fractures on its forehead and other injuries.

Origin

Kattayan was born wild , captured 2016-06-19 .

Comments / pictures

2016-08-15: When Madukkarai Maharaj, an 18-year-old elephant, died after being captured and kept at the Varagaliar Elephant Camp at Tamil Nadu Annamalai on June 21, 2016, tributes poured in from conservationists, who claimed that the animal had never caused much trouble to humans.

The Tusker was captured by the forest department for allegedly entering human habitation and damaging crops for over three years.

The tranquilised wild elephant, nicknamed ‘Kattayan’ alias ‘Madukkarai Maharaj’, which died at the elephant camp at Varagliyar near Top Slip on Tuesday, two days after it was captured, had suffered multiple fractures on its forehead and other injuries while trying to free itself from the kraal, a post-mortem examination has revealed.

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Kattayan, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Varagaliar elephant camp in India. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 30 March 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=11412. (archived at the Wayback machine)