The swimming elephant lay at rest

This is the story of India’s 66-year old last swimming elephant, Rajan.

He began his life as a “logging” elephant. He was transported from Karnataka to the lush green forests of Andaman and Nicobar islands. He and many other elephants from all across India were used to help in their mass timber extraction business. The islands did not have any transportation to the mainland and thus the elephants, who are natural swimmers, swam across the islands to transport the timber. And that’s how Rajan and many other swimming elephants were born.

Long after the British left, elephants remained and timbering also continued. Then in 2000, the Indian Govt banned timbering and some 200 swimming elephants had to be shifted from the islands to their homes or elsewhere like a temple or for entertainment.

Rajan was lucky. His owner took him under his protection and lived on the Havelock island in Andaman. He spent his days at ease, swimming in the ocean once a week and participating in the occasional film shoot. He was gaining a lot of popularity as a swimming elephant and those from world over came them to film him. Rajan’s owner resisted temptations to sell him but when one temple offered a huge sum, before he could be tempted, Barefoot Resort on Havelock Island bought him for Rs.25 lakh, where he lived until his death sometime in the intervening night of July 31 and Aug. 01. From 2007 to 2014, under the resort’s care, Rajan enthralled filmmakers and photographers, the elephant enthralled one and all with his swimming skills.

Rajan helped earn back the Rs.25 lakh by swimming for films and photographers, becoming a celebrity of sorts. He also had his own time by going for long walks to the forests in the morning and come back only at sunset. He retired in 2014, no more swimming for money.

Rajan, unlike many other elephants across India was very lucky to have got such caring owners. Its nice to know that at a time when the world does not value even human value, this last swimming elephant of India is laid to rest at peace in the deep forests of Havelock.