Mohanmala, Kaziranga’s beloved 90-year-old elephant, passes away..
Mohanmala also outlived five of her closest mahouts, remaining the sole surviving member of her generation.
by Avik Chakraborty August 14, 2025
Mohanmala, the oldest surviving elephant of Assam’s Kaziranga National Park, passed away on Thursday at nearly 90 years of age.
“Mohanmala was part of Kaziranga’s most challenging operations over the decades — from anti-poaching patrols and flood rescues to carrying tourists through the Kohora range’s wilderness, and ferrying forest guards to areas inaccessible by any other means,” Park Director Sonali Ghosh said.
Mohanmala had once worked alongside some of Kaziranga’s legendary elephants — Gadapani, Ray Bahadur, Joy Shankar, Joymala, and Joytara — all of whom are now gone. Mohanmala also outlived five of her closest mahouts, remaining the sole surviving member of her generation.
Kiran Rabha, the head mahout of the Kohora range who had known her since 1983, remembered Mohanmala as a powerful swimmer who could reach flood-hit areas where even boats could not.
“She was known as the park’s unofficial ambulance, transporting sick or injured forest staff from remote camps to safety, and even bringing them back after recovery,” Rabha recalled.
“The entire park mourns Mohanmala’s death, and a last rite has been organised to pay tribute to her,” Ghosh added.