 |
| Elephant Self-Portrait (Photo credit: Cybjorg) |
Kallana - കല്ലാന (the literal translation would be stone elephant) is an elusive
species of elephant supposed to be seen in
Kerala, that belongs to the realm of
cryptozoology. The locals describe it as a adult elephant with a maximum height of 5 feet, but with normal trunk and tail. Till recently it was only a local folklore like the bigfoot and the
Loch Ness monster. Recently one was captured, but whether it is a mutant pygmy elephant or a new species has yet to be ascertained. Even a
genetic test could be inconclusive as proof of many such
elephants with the same genotype and phenotypic presentation is needed for defining a species. Well documented pygmy elephant species (Elephas maximus borneensis) has been described in other parts of the world.
