Myanmar media hails white elephant as auguring prosperity

YANGON - An official newspaper of Myanmar Saturday hailed the finding of a rare white elephant as a sign of coming peace and prosperity in the nation after the Nov 7 general elections.

The 18-year-old white elephant, 2.16 metres tall and having a girth of 3.14 metres, was found in the forests near Maungtaw in Rakhine state by officials of the forest department, Xinhua reported citing official daily New Light of Myanmar.

According to local legend, it is believed that a white elephant is a sign of power, and a nation which possesses a white elephant would be free from danger and the citizens would lead peaceful lives.

The official newspaper said the “auspicious occasion” coincides with the democratic transition of the nation and it is “a good sign for the success of general elections and for the people to enjoy peace, stability and prosperity” in the times to come.

In June, a 38-year-old female white elephant was caught in Rakhine, making it the fourth such animal to have been found in Myanmar since 2001.