Mysuru's Famed Dasara Elephant And Gentle Giant 'Drona' Dies Of Heart Attack

A 37-year-old tusker, an inmate of the Nagarhole Sanctuary¡¯s Mattegoda elephant camp died on Friday of a suspected heart attack. The tusker, named Drona which was showing signs of being unwell since morning collapsed in the afternoon while the mahouts were trying to revive it, splashing water.

Drona was captured in 2014 from Medahalli Forest Range in Hassan district and had participated in famed Mysuru Dasara on two occasions.

37 Year old male elephant named ''Drona'' which used to participate in dasara procession from the past 3 years passed away yesterday in Tithimathi, Nagarhole forest.@BangaloreMirror @Joshi_Aar pic.twitter.com/GeJvZrOFSk

¡ª Eshwar Shivanna (@eshwarsMIRROR) April 27, 2019

Described as a 'gentle giant' by mahouts and was also used to capture and tame other rogue elephants.

BCCL/ FILE

The tusker which stood at a height of 2.69 metres was named after another celebrated Dasara elephant by the same name and had carried the golden howdah during the Mysuru Dasara procession 18 times.

Drona died at a relatively young age, considering elephants live will upto 60-70 years. Its death has once again highlighted how captive elephants die young in alarming numbers. Most of the deaths have been reported from Kerala where 33 captive elephants died in 2018.

In most of the cases, eranda kettu, a digestive disorder which results in the elephant stops taking food, leading to prolonged weakness and eventual death.

According to medics, Eranda Kettu in captive elephants is triggered by long hours of standing, with no exercise, unlike those in the wild, which travels kilometers every day searching for food.