Ninth white rare elephant captured by the Forest Department of Myanmar

A rare white elephant has been found by the Forest Department of Myanmar in the jungles of western Ayeyarwaddy region. Myanmar already has captivated eight white elephants mostly from the same region. Three of them are in Yangon and five in the zoo in the capital, Naypyitaw.

The elephant captured is a wild 7-year-old female which was captured on February 27, 2015. The female elephant was initially spotted in a reserve in Pathein township six weeks ago. The place where the elephant will be nurtured is yet to be decided.
The forest department official said in a statement that they have to be very careful with the elephant as it is wild and they do not want the department or the elephant to get hurt.

White elephants are said to be a lucky charm for the country and a symbol of prosperity and royality. These elephants are actually albinos who have long been respected in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and surrounding Asian nations. The elephants are pinkish in colour with fair eyelids and toenails and were pampered by the monarchs of the country.

Military leaders ride white elephants in lavish ceremonies adorned with silver and precious gems.

According to the World Wildlife Fund reports , there are around 32,750 Asian elephants walking wild in the jungle. Most of the male elephants have been hunted for poaching of their ivory.
Myanmar, India and Vietnam have strictly banned capture of the animals, but it is not followed severely in Myanmar. They still captivate elephants for illegal trade and timber industry.