Arjuna
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Balle Elephant Camp in India

Biography
dead elephant ☨ ♂ Arjuna  dead elephant

Identification

Karnataka database40

Description
Species:Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:Male ♂ 62 years old
Body weight: 5250.00 kg, 11550.00 lbs

People killed:1
Origin
Born:* 1961 wild
Birth place: in Kakanakote forest
Capture: 1965
Death
Dead: 2023-12-04
Death reason: killed: fight with a wild elephant
Locations - owners
Present / last location:Balle Elephant Camp, in India

Date of arrival

Balle Elephant Camp
from Murkal elephant camp (Nagarhole)

Murkal elephant camp (Nagarhole)
from Kakanakote forest

Record history
History of updates2021-12-25

Latest document update2023-12-05 09:02:18
Google map

† Arjuna is a dead Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 2023-12-04 at Balle Elephant Camp, in India, . Official death reason described as fight with a wild elephant.

Affiliated people

1: Dodda Masti (mahout to 2012 ) 2: Mahesh (mahout from 2012 )

Casualties

1 casualties
  1. 1996: mahout Annaiah fatal attack by Arjuna. † Annaiah Died 1996


Origin

Arjuna was born wild 1961 at Kakanakote forest, captured 1965 .


Comments / pictures

captured 1965 in Mathigodu.

Mahout: Sannappa (Mahesh), son of Dodda Masti

Arjuna was the immediate successor of Balarama and had carried the golden Howdah once. But he was kept off the festivities after an accident.



Contradictory records:


One day Arjuna went to bathe in a river with his buddy Bahadur and Bahadur's trainer Annayya. While crossing a road, the elephants were startled by a vehicle and in the chaos that ensued, the rider Annayya fell down to the ground, only to be stamped on the his head by Arjuna. He was crushed to death. People opined that an elephant that had killed a man was unfit to carry the religious duties of Dasara. So Arjuna, while being as capable as Drona, never got to be the bearer of the prestige.
Mallikarjuna D.G.



In 1996, when Arjuna and Bahadur, the two tuskers were taken to Karanji lake for bathing, Bahadur's Mahout Annaiah fell down and he was trampled upon. It was an accident. Even the mahouts and kavadis say that it is not clear whether it was Arjuna who trampled him, explained vet D N Nagaraj. But Arjuna was blamed for the tragedy given his temperament.



2011-10-09: weighed 5,530 kgs
2012-09-24: weighed 5,520 kgs
2015: weighed 5,250 kgs
2023-12-05: Sixty four-year-old Arjuna, the elephant that carried the golden Howdah during the Dasara procession, died in a fight with a wild elephant during the elephant capture operation near Yeslur in Sakleshpur on Monday.
Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Arjuna, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Balle Elephant Camp in India. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 30 March 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=4111. (archived at the Wayback machine)


Sources used for this article is among others:


Litterature about Balle Elephant Camp

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Categories2023 deaths | 1961 births | 1965 captures | Elephants from Balle Elephant Camp | India | Mankillers | Asian elephants




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