Little elephant is the first scientific recordof dwarfism in the wild
- Thread starter Gulo gulo
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Elephas Maximus
Well-Known Member
He was born with normal head & short legs 
And his mother probably was young & small, since he nursed successfully.
And his mother probably was young & small, since he nursed successfully.
I don't think his head is unnaturally large, at least in relation to his body, its just that with short legs it looks to be that way and Bull elephants have bigger heads anyway. Basset Hounds are also deliberately bred shortlegged and also have the condition Achondroplasia (shortened leg bones) but I don't think their heads are larger in relation to their bodies than other dogs- or are they? At birth he would presumably have had similar dimensions to other calves, albeit with very short legs. He must have looked even more amazing then.
But could they be housetrained to use a littertray?
I don't think they had any 'mutation'. That was hype. They were two elderly(?)/very mature bulls that exhibited the very pronounced bumps and frontal skull development, that many bulls never do as they never reach such a good age. They did indeed bear a passing resemblance to Mammoths but again that was just hype.
What an amazing animal! I agree with keeping it in the wild, in captivity it would have the same conservation value as a white tiger
In some respects less. Before they were crossbred, inbred, overbred and everyother-bred, White tigers were simply an aberrant colour morph of Indian tiger. This unusual Elephant has a skeletal abberation which is worse really.
It seems like the dwarf elephant is doing well just where he is - his small size apparently works in his favour during fights and according to this article he may also be able to mate, especially with a smaller female.
BBC - Earth - Dwarf elephant beats up big rival
BBC - Earth - Dwarf elephant beats up big rival
From the large size of the lobes on his head I'd say this dwarf male is a very mature bull. That would give him a psychological advantage in fights, particularly with younger(but taller) males and may help him in winning these encounters as much as his unusual build.
... Just last night, I was wondering if dwarfism occurred in non-human animals. Interesting news, and glad to see he does fine in the wild.
I m wondering if he would manage to mount the females sufficiently to actually mate.
Only a photograph or observation of him actually mating would prove that. I think it might be difficult as bulls normally rely on their overall height to mount properly.