1.0 Rajah Elephas maximus indicus
Born in the wild (Myanmar) 1917
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 11/11/1930
Died at Auckland Zoo 09/03/1936
Rajah was a bull Indian elephant that Auckland Zoo acquired from the Hobart Zoo in 1930; as a companion for the female, Jamuna.
As Rajah matured, he became difficult to control and was finally shot in 1936. Today, it is widely believed his unmanageable behaviour could have been attributed to the natural phenomenon of musth.
There’s an interesting account of his life here: Wild Child
