Behold, the mighty Walawe Kota!

Meet a very unique Sri Lankan elephant

Big bull elephants like Sando and Gemunu may rule the roost at Udawalawe National Park, but their size is no match for the huge spirit of Walawe Kota, the Corgi of the elephant world! Kota is the world’s first documented dwarf elephant in the wild, but that doesn’t seem to bother him at all. Having limbs that are disproportionately short relative to the body, should be a disadvantage; and in a world of hungry predators and rivals weighing several tonnes, the five foot tall Kota shouldn’t have been able to survive. But against all odds, he's survived and thrived as well!

Fun Facts

Walawe Kota is best described as a fearless soul. In fact, when he was discovered back in 2013, he was in the process of taking on another bull elephant twice his size and… he won! He truly lives the mantra of ‘size doesn’t matter’ and has become quite famous in the years since, with every sighting being celebrated by his growing legion of fans. Kota suddenly disappeared at the beginning of this year, giving rise to rumours of capture or an untimely death; but much to the relief of his fans and conservationists alike, he turned up at the Park again last month!

Story of the Photo

Elephant sightings are quite common around the Mahoora Tented Safari Camp in Udawalawe, but Walawe Kota keeps a low profile (pun intended). So the best way to see him, would be to go on safari just like Raveendra Siriwardena, who got this awesome shot of Kota in ‘musth’ (aggressive with elevated testosterone levels) in late 2017.