Mudumalai
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Theppakadu Mudumalai Forest Camp (MFC) in India

Biography

♂ Mudumalai

Alternative name:	Balram

Identification

Local id Number	4
Tamil Nadu database	23

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Male ♂ about 60 years old (approximate age)
Dentition
Incisives	tusker
Management:	Free contact
Origin
Born:	* ~1965 wild
Birth place:	in Mudumalai National Park
Capture:	1967-07-09
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Theppakadu Mudumalai Forest Camp (MFC), in India

Date of arrival

1967-07-09	Theppakadu Mudumalai Forest Camp (MFC) from Mudumalai National Park

Record history
History of updates	2023-02-16

Latest document update	2022-09-03 16:17:21
Google map

Biography

Mudumalai is a living Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) , located at the Theppakadu Mudumalai Forest Camp (MFC), in India.

Mudumalai arrived in 1967-07-09 to the Theppakadu Mudumalai Forest Camp (MFC), relocated from the Mudumalai National Park, in India.

Social

Mudumalai lives together with 24 other elephants at the Theppakadu Mudumalai Forest Camp (MFC): (detailed list)

1. ♂ Anna born ~1957
2. ♀ Bhama born ~1949
3. ♂ Bomman born <2000
4. ♂ Cheeran born 1986-07-10
5. ♂ Giri born >2009
6. ♀ Harini
7. ⚪ Indhak
8. ♂ Indhar born ~1948
9. ♂ Jambo born <1987
10. ♂ John born >1992
11. ♀ Kamatchi born ~1957
12. ⚪ Sankan
13. ♂ Santhosh born 1975-05-15
14. ♀ Sentilvadivu born ~1976
15. ♂ Shankar born ~1967
16. ♂ Srinivas
17. ♂ Sujai (twin) born 1971-05-20
18. ♀ Sumangala born ~1989
19. ♂ Udayan born 1998-11-24
20. ♂ unknown born 2000
21. ♂ unknown born 2016
22. ♂ Vijay (twin) born 1971-05-20
23. ♂ Wasim born 1971-01-31
24. ♂ Wilson born 1988-04-16

Origin

Mudumalai was born wild ~1965 at Mudumalai National Park, captured 1967-07-09 .

Comments / pictures

Dr.Krishnamurthy initially named him Balram after his brothers Balakrishnan and Ramamurthy, who were part of the rescue mission. The State government rechristened him as Mudumalai since he was captured in the region.

From the book In the Village of the Elephants :

Focusing on Bomman, the son of a mahout, and Mudumalai, his father's elephant, the book charts a typical day in the life of the team. The elephants, once used for logging, are seen here in their contemporary role as forest rangers, patrolling the preservations and crop fields.

Lively photographs depict activities ranging from the morning bath in the river to the noontime feeding of the village elephants (Mudumalai receives 20-pound balls of specially concocted porridge) and correspond effectively to the text, which places the reader in the middle of the action ("Having an elephant throw sticks at you might seem like a strange way to wake up, but for Bomman it happens almost every morning").

On a larger scale, the book thoughtfully demonstrates how both humans and animals have had to adapt to a changing world.

2022-08-29: Murthy and Mudumalai get retirement:
Mudumalai in Theppakadu Mudumalai Forest Camp (MFC)

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). Mudumalai, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Theppakadu Mudumalai Forest Camp (MFC) in India. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 15 June 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=2601. (archived at the Wayback machine)