A rare white elephant was born in western Myanmar on August 3, according to state media, revealing what many in the Buddhist-majority country believe to be an auspicious creature.
According to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, the baby was born last month in western Rakhine state and weighs about 80 kilogrammes (180 pounds) and stands about 70 cm (two and a half feet) tall.
State TV footage showed the tusker tot following his mother to a river and being washed by its keepers before feeding from her.
The mother, Zar Nan Hla, is kept by the Myanma Timber Enterprise in Rakhine state, according to the Global New Light, and the baby has seven of the eight characteristics associated with rare white elephants.
How the white elephant look?
“Pearl-coloured eyes, plantain branch-shaped back, white hair, a distinctive tail, auspicious plot signs on the skin, five claws on the front legs and four on the back legs and big ears,” the newspaper reported.
Late last month, social media users first reported the elephant’s birth, which has yet to be named.
White elephants were historically considered extremely auspicious in Southeast Asian culture, and the region’s ancient rulers amassed as many as they could to improve their fortunes.
However, the ruinous cost of keeping the beasts in appropriately lavish style gave rise to the modern expression “white elephant,” which refers to a useless, albeit beautiful, possession.
According to state media, there are currently six white elephants in captivity in the military-built capital Naypyidaw, mostly from Rakhine state and the southern Ayeyarwady region.
