A rare white elephant has been captured after being spotted wandering through the jungle in Burma.

The seven-year-old female elephant was apprehended by forestry officials six weeks after her initial sighting in a reserve in the western Ayeyarwaddy region.

White elephants, revered in Burma, Thailand, and Laos, symbolize good fortune and political change.

Their distinct appearance, often featuring a pinkish hue and light-colored eyelashes and toenails, is due to albinism.

Historically, royalty treasured them for their association with power and prosperity, and many still believe they bring good luck.

Tun Tun Oo, a Burma’s forestry department spokesperson, explained, “We had to be very careful.

The elephant was first seen in Pathein township. We wanted to ensure the elephant’s and our officials’ safety.”

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates that 25,600 and 32,750 Asian elephants remain in the wild.

Males face significant threats due to their tusks, which are highly sought after by poachers for ivory. Additionally, capturing wild elephants for domestic purposes poses a risk to their populations.

Despite bans on elephant capture in India, Vietnam, and Burma aimed at protecting wild herds, illegal captures for the timber industry and wildlife trade persist in Burma, according to WWF.

Burma is home to eight white elephants in captivity, primarily from the Ayeyarwaddy region.

Five of these elephants are housed in Naypyitaw’s zoo, the country’s capital, while the other three are in Yangon.