Thai's 'Mini-Water-Elephant'
I remember, years ago, seeing a segment on 'Unsolved Mysteries' OR 'Beyond Bizarre' about this elephant. Needless to say, no one believed me when I mentioned them and the show. They are acclaimed to be poisonous, and that they can swim under water. Also mentioned within the segment, was that the villagers would hunt them, and sell them - either live or mummified - at their markets.
I searched for information on this, but could never find anything about it at the time. Well, as you can see, I wasn't the only one to hear stories of the 'miniature elephant.'
It is said they are a trick of taxidermy - so always watch what you buy folks! ( Even though, it would be fun to boast and show your friends a poisonous mini-elephant! ).
And, as an ending note:
Placed are the most 'entertaining' E-Bay items/sales/bids for you to see and for research purposes. Winter Steel, does NOT claim ANY of this as real or a hoax, and advise you do some serious researching before purchasing any product. It's been placed here for your entertainment and reading purposes only!
-Ed.
[Begin Summary of product:]
Thai Water Elephant
Cryptozoology Taxidermy Mummified sideshow oddity gaff?
The Legend of Thai Water Elephant
Own a piece of cryptozoology and open the door to a lifetime of amazement. This item is beyond rare, and usually only sold between private collectors. To my knowledge such a specimen has never before been available on the open market. It is guaranteed to be the only one of its kind currently available to buyers in the world today.
Specimens much like this have been written about by leading cryptozoologists. They have been featured on the Discovery Channel, and now you can own one.
The Legend of the Thai Water Elephant says that high in the mountainous waterways of Thailand there exist packs of tiny elephants, which spend their entire lives paddling in muddy streams which are hidden in the dense jungle. They are no more than an inch tall, and are said to be deadly due to their poisonous tusks. These tusks are said to be filled with enough venom to kill a man even long after the little animal's death. Only experienced hunters are able to sneak up on the miniature elephants in the wild, as only their tiny trunks are visible poking above the waters surface. Unwary travelers that cross the paths of these mini-pachyderms usually die, therefore, it is said, that the unfortunates who stumble across one in the wild don't live to tell the tale. Additionally, the little elephants are notoriously hard to maintain in captivity and usually die within a few hours, or days, of their capture. From time to time, the tiny mummified remains of these creatures surface in the hands of Burmese traders, Thai markets and obscure shops in the region.
The last known specimen of this rare creature to surface was in 2003, in the Mae Sot district of the providence of Tak. Locals in Tak believe the water elephant is one of the world's rarest creatures, bestowed with supernatural powers. Sala Chuainoo, a 50-year-old elephant keeper, said that when he was very young his parents told him that an elephant running amok would never hurt a person carrying the tusk of a water elephant, and those carrying such a tusk would be able to quickly calm rampaging pachyderms.
Scientists and researchers at Pha Woh Hospital in the Mae Sot district, have investigated these kinds of Thai Water Elephant carcasses extensively. The x-rays of the little corpses proved that the tiny animals have a bone structure similar to that of a full-sized elephant.
Due to their extreme rarity, and place in traditional Thai legend, these elephants reportedly have sold among private collectors for up to 3 million Bt (Thai currency) which is the equivalent of approximately 78,000.00 dollars!
This little fellow is rumored to have originated in Tak's Umphang district. It is not (and I repeat "NOT") a sculpture. While I don't have much information on this item other than what I was told, I can assure you that this is a real taxidermy, and all ivory elements are vintage. The scale of this creature is a marvel to behold, and I have included items in the photos to give a sense of scale, and relay its otherwise unbelievable dimensions.
This tiny treasure comes in its own museum quality display case, and would easily be the highlight of any cryptozoology collection, museum, sideshow, or cabinet of curiosities.
While my ebay store is new, I specialize in rare items like this and assure my clients absolute anonymity when purchasing antiquities of this kind. I will not release your name or purchase price to media inquiries, or third parties. I understand, and am sensitive, to the special needs of such elite and secretive collectors.
Serious inquiries only please.
[end]
Note: At the time of this posting, 6/20/06, this item is still for sale at $60,000.
News Articles: ( Archived )
Places discussing this subject:
All Copyrights © are acknowledged. Any material reproduced here is for educational and research purposes only.
