Bandula (Bandoola) an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens (Dehiwela Zoo)

Male ♂ Asian elephant (<em>Elephas maximus</em>) Bandula (Bandoola) at Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens (Dehiwela Zoo)

Photo © Wayne Jackson, Canada.
Bandula (Bandoola)
ID Number:
Species: Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:Male ♂ 71 years old
Management:Free contact
Location:Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens (Dehiwela Zoo)
ArrivalSri Lanka National Zoological Gardens (Dehiwela Zoo) 1949-00-00
from Anuradhapura forest
Born:* 1949 wild Sri Lanka
Document updated2012-01-31: picture
2009-10-31: Must jumbo at Dehivela zoo becomes restless


born - 1954
found in the jungle around Anuraahapura
came to the zoo when he was around four years old
he is approximately 10 1/2 feet tall and weighs around 5 1/2 ton
he is an ALLIYA - non-tusker
he has 2" thick ivory, called DULA
very long tail, some white hair, very broad trunk and big ears, very good eyes, good
colour
his nails are white - good sign
ten on front, eight on back
very easy to train, when he arrived it only took one week to train he brings food to
the barn in the after - noon and works around zoo.
for the first month a new mahout can't work with BANDOOLA, after that he gains
his trust, extremely intelligent elephant, learns quick, when he is taken to a fallen
tree, he knows what to do without being told
he is a very good bull, both in working and performance
he is the lead elephant for the performance
when he and SAMPAT are going to drink, he waits his turn
he has come into musth four times
he is kept away from all elephants, he is chained on three legs
he can work with all mahouts, but at musth time he is very bad, he is in musth
Feb. and March for five to six months, at that time no one goes near him with the
exception of the head mahout, the first couple months of his musth he is taken for a
bath, after that he stays in the barn.
last year he was a lot of trouble, he tried to destroy the shed for the first 2-3 months
and then on all 4 legs, if he is turning very bad, the musth oil is washed off, when
he comes out of musth the musth glands on the head are cleaned out and oil put in,
the oil comes from cow's milk, called "ghee", then he will come into musth for 1-2
months, he didn't come into musth before, because he wasn't fit. when he was 22 he
came into musth for 4 days to a week, but didn't come in the following year

Reference list

Koehl, D., (2020). Bandula (Bandoola), an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens (Dehiwela Zoo) in Sri Lanka. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 27 September 2020 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=5225. (archived at the Wayback machine)

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