Hyderabad’s Nehru Zoological Park has announced the loss of an 83-year-old female Asiatic elephant, Rani. She was born on October 7, 1938, and was gifted to the zoo by the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of the erstwhile state of Hyderabad. in 1963. Elephants in the wild live up to 50-60 years, while those in captivity have an average lifespan of 70. Rani had created a record by surpassing both these numbers. She was also the third-oldest Asiatic elephant in the world. She was the same Elephant used for Bibi ka Alam for more than 3 decades.

On October 1, 1963, she was moved from Bagh-e Aam, now known as Public Gardens in Nampally, to the Nehru Zoological Park. She became the center of attraction immediately and had a regular appearance in the Bonalu and Muharram processions. According to zoo authorities, Rani had been suffering from age-related ailments, which were being treated and monitored by the zoo’s veterinary experts on a regular basis. To improve her quality of life, she was given supportive medications and specific vitamins on a monthly basis. Rani passed away on June 8, 2021, and her post-mortem reports revealed that she died of old age-related multiple organ failure.