Sunday, May 8 2005 09:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Thiruvananthapuram: The quest for 'dwarf' elephants, whose existence is a long-held belief of tribals of Agasthya biosphere near Thiruvananthapuram, seems to be proving futile after a recent exploration by Forest Department failed to come across any evidence of the presence of the mystery creature.

The search for the smaller type of pachyderm, Kallana as tribals call them, received a renewed interest after a wildlife photographer claimed to have seen a herd of them during a trek to the area a few months back.

Lensman Saly Palode had come out with a picture of a five feet high cow elephant with all the features of an adult and brought it to the notice of Wildlife authorities.

"We have made enquiries based on reports. So far, we have not come across any evidence to establish the existence of that type of an elephant," Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Gopinathan, said. A freelancer in close touch with the Kani tribals, Saly is not ready to accept the official version asserting what he had seen and snapped was a truly grown up elephant and not malformed creature, as wildlife officials claim.

"It was part of a herd of three. They had all the features of adult elephants. The depressions on their head, big, flapping ears and tuskes all show that they are grown up. Head of a calf is normally flat, without the hollows that mark the adult," Saly said.