A White Elephant - World's First Confirmed Sighting

Yesterday's Washington Post story by Juliet Eilperin tells us of the sighting last month of this fabled creature, among a herd of elephants in Yala, Sri Lanka.

Although there have been reported sightings of white elephants in Thailand - where any discovered becomes the property of the king - and elsewhere, this marks the first time in history that the existence of a true albino elephant has been confirmed, according to Wildlife Trust president Mary Pearl.

Researchers call her Sue - shorthand for white in Sinhalese, the language of Sri Lanka.

Hey, wait a minute - I thought Sue was a boy's name....

Here's the Post story.

Biologists Locate White Elephant

Wildlife biologists in Sri Lanka say they have confirmed for the first time the existence of a long-fabled white elephant.

The albino elephant, a female believed to be about 11 years old, was observed in mid-July in a herd of about 17 adult females and young elephants in Yala, Sri Lanka, according to two conservation groups, Wildlife Trust of Palisades, N.Y., and the Centre for Conservation and Research of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Researchers from the groups have studied elephant ecology and behavior for the past 12 years to determine how the country's 3,500 elephants survive in the midst of Sri Lanka's agricultural expansion.

Although there have been reported sightings of white elephants in Thailand and elsewhere, this marks the first time the existence of a true albino elephant has been confirmed, according to Wildlife Trust president Mary Pearl.

Researchers call her Sue, which is shorthand for white in Sinhalese.

Sue's discovery will make it easier for scientists to track the matriarchal group to better "understand the movement of the family groups and their nutritional needs and habitat needs in a changing landscape," Pearl said.

Sue's lack of pigmentation indicates inbreeding, Pearl noted.

In the West, the phrase "white elephant" connotes a rare and expensive possession that is hard to maintain.

But in Eastern mythology, they are more coveted.

Pearl said she hopes Sue's discovery "will help reinvigorate the reverence elephants have traditionally enjoyed in Sri Lanka."

According to Buddhist lore, Queen Mahamaya dreamt of a white baby elephant at the conception of Lord Buddha.

In Thailand, any white elephant discovered becomes the property of the king.

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