India, Aug. 15 -- Mohanmala walked into the dense marshes of Kaziranga in May 1970 - a plucky elephant, calm and composed, but fearless. She roamed the vast tracts of the lush Kaziranga, then still a wildlife sanctuary, slowly building a reputation as a powerful swimmer who coursed through water bodies that put paid to boats.

"She was known as the park's unofficial ambulance, transporting sick or injured forest staff from remote camps to safety, and even bringing them back after recovery," said Kiran Rabha, the head mahout of the Kohora range in Kaziranga.

A hush fell around the national park on Thursday, when Mohanmala, the oldest surviving elephant of the Kaziranga forest department, breathed her last. She was 90.

She watched the wil...