Myanmar captures 9th rare white elephant celebrated by kings and believed to bring good luck
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2012, file photo, a white elephant is fed grass at a zoo in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Myanmar says it has found a rare, white elephant in the jungles of the western Ayeyarwaddy region. Forestry official Tun Tun Oo says the 7-year-old female was captured by his department Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, six weeks after it was initially spotted in a forest reserve in Pathein township.(AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong, File) (The Associated Press)
Myanmar says it has found a rare, white elephant in the jungles of the western Ayeyarwaddy region.
Forestry official Tun Tun Oo says the 7-year-old female was captured by his department on Friday, a month and a half after it was initially spotted in a forest reserve in Pathein township.
White elephants, actually albinos, have for centuries been revered in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and other Asian nations.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Often pinkish in color, with fair eyelashes and toenails, the animals were normally kept and pampered by monarchs as a symbol of royal power and prosperity — and many people still believe they bring good luck to the country.
Myanmar has eight white elephants in captivity — five in Naypyitaw Zoo and three in Yangon Zoo. Most of them are from the Ayeyarwaddy region.