Kallana
{{Short description|Claimed to be a species of dwarf elephants in Kerala, India}}
{{Infobox mythical creature
|name = Kallana
|AKA = Thumpiyana
|image =
|caption =
|Grouping =
|Sub_Grouping = Elephas
|Country = India
|Region = Southern part of Western ghats
|Habitat = Mountainous Rain forest
}}
Kallana is a suspected species of dwarf elephants allegedly found in South India.{{cite news |author=P. Venugopal |title=Kerala: Pygmy elephants found in State forests? |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/01/19/stories/2005011902570700.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126005607/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/01/19/stories/2005011902570700.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=January 26, 2013 |work=The Hindu |date=2005-01-19 }} Kaani tribals dwelling in the rainforests of the Western Ghats (Kerala, India) claim that there are two distinct varieties of elephants in the Peppara forest range, one the common Indian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus), and the other a dwarf variety which they call kallana.{{cite news |author=P.S. Suresh Kumar |title=Tamil Nadu: 21 elephants found in Western Ghats at Kanyakumari: census |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/21-elephants-found-in-western-ghats-at-kanyakumari-census/article1180868.ece |work=The Hindu |date=2008-01-18 }} The name kallana comes from the words "kallu", which means stones or boulders, and "aana", which means elephant. The tribals gave the creatures this name because they see the smaller elephant more often in the higher altitudes where the terrain is rocky. Some tribals also call the delicate creatures thumbiana (thumbi means dragonfly) for the speed with which the pachyderms run through trees and rocks when disturbed.
Behaviour and diet
Sightings and claims of existence as a distinct species
The existence of a pygmy variety of elephant in India is yet to be scientifically ascertained. If the claims of Kani tribals are believed there are ample reasons to believe that the "kallana" they describe is a different (namely pygmy) variety of elephant since it is claimed to grow to a maximum height of 5 feet (1.5 metres), and they do not mix with the more common Indian elephants, even taking pains to avoid them. In all other respects, they look like Indian elephants.
Sali Palode, a Kerala-based wildlife photographer, and Mallan Kani, a member of Kerala's Kani tribe, who were in search of this elusive elephant were able to photograph one such dwarf elephant, and even claim to have seen a herd. On 17 March 2010, the same Mallan Kani guided the photographer Benny Ajantha to a kallana and he took pictures. This was reported in the Malayalam daily Malayala Manorama with a picture,{{cite news |title=Pygmy elephants spotted again|url=http://sightindia.com/en/index.php?page=newsDetail&id=8823|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716070532/http://sightindia.com/en/index.php?page=newsDetail&id=8823|archivedate=16 July 2011}} but one needs to be captured and tested to see whether it is a separate species. The Kerala Forest Department has recently{{when|date=September 2021}} deputed search teams to the forests of Agasthyavanam, Neyyar and the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuaries to search for the pygmy elephants.
Video footage{{cite news |title=Rare elephant "Kallaana" seen in pepara dam : Exclusive Footage |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujYBLZssaQk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211217/ujYBLZssaQk |archive-date=2021-12-17 |url-status=live|work=Asianet News |date=2013-02-01 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} by Sali Palode and Dr Kamaruddheen attained media attention as well as government officials in studying about this, to confirm whether this is a new species. Some of the criticisms from experts is that all the sightings have been of solitary animals. This could be a sign of genetic aberration rather than a separate species. In 2013, a dwarf individual belonging to Elephas maximus was observed in Udawalawe National Park in southern Sri Lanka and scientifically documented.{{cite journal|last1=Wijesinha|first1=Rohan|last2=Hapuarachchi|first2=Nadika|last3=Abbott|first3=Brad|last4=Pastorini|first4=Jennifer|last5=Fernando|first5=Prithiviraj|title=Disproportionate Dwarfism in a Wild Asian Elephant|journal=Gajah|date=2013|volume=38|issue=38|pages=30–32|url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/2013/Gajah%2038/38-30-Wijesinha.pdf|accessdate=20 December 2014|ref=Gajah38|doi=10.5167/uzh-90449}}