Kaziranga bids adieu to iconic patrol elephant

Officials and guards of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, Assam, on Sunday (July 5, 2026) bid an emotional farewell to Joymala, one of the longest-serving elephants of the one-horned rhino habitat.

Officials said Joymala, inducted as a “jungle warrior” in 1992, died Saturday (July 4, 2026) night. She was 66.

Joymala earned international recognition in 2004 when a stray tiger leapt over her while she was on patrol. The dramatic incident, captured on camera, became one of Kaziranga’s most iconic wildlife images, drawing global attention to the courage and composure of the park’s patrol elephants and their handlers.

A rescuer

“Today, Kaziranga bows its head in tribute to one of its bravest guardians. Joymala was more than a patrol elephant; she was a silent protector who spent 34 years safeguarding the national park. From anti-poaching patrols to wildlife rescue operations, she stood beside our Forest personnel through every challenge, helping protect one of the world’s greatest tiger landscapes,” Assam’s Forest and Environment Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said.

“As we bid her farewell with full honours, we salute a life of courage, loyalty and selfless service. Her legacy lives on through the generations of patrol elephants she leaves behind, continuing the mission of protecting Kaziranga and its majestic rhinos and tigers,” he said.

For many years, Joymala was under the care of veteran mahout Satyaban Pegu, with whom she shared an extraordinary bond built on trust and mutual understanding. In her later years, her care was entrusted to Nilakanta Koch, who continued to look after her with dedication and affection.

“Despite receiving continuous veterinary care and treatment for nearly a year due to prolonged illness, Joymala breathed her last on Friday night in the Naloni area under Agoratoli Range of Kaziranga National Park,” an official statement read.

Joymala’s last rites were performed with a guard of honour by Kaziranga’s Forest personnel.