Placeholder canvas

Giant elephant bird egg for sale at London auction

Date:

A rare egg from the giant extinct elephant bird will go under the hammer at auction house Sotheby’s in London this week, and is expected to fetch up to 50,000 pounds ($77,000).

The enormous egg, dating from the 17th century or earlier, is about 200 times the size of a chicken egg. It is 31 centimetres high and 24 centimetres in diameter.

“It’s the largest egg from the largest bird that ever existed,” said David Goldthorpe, senior director and senior specialist in the books and manuscripts department at Sotheby’s.

“The elephant bird was about three metres high, weighed 450 kilograms — that’s almost half a metric tonne — and it’s related to the cassowary and ostrich, which are still with us today.”

The flightless elephant bird was native to the island of Madagascar, and is thought to have gone extinct between the 13th and 17th centuries for reasons that may include hunting by European settlers and loss of habitat.

Sotheby’s said elephant birds’ eggs are believed to be the largest of any egg-laying animal and they became sought-after rarities and curiosities during the late 19th century.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

H1B Visa: USCIS Gears Up For Lottery Selection For Fy-25

Due to a technical issue with its website, the USCIS delayed the deadline for visa applications for the financial year 2025 by three days from March 22nd to March 25th, 2024

To Browbeat And Bully Others Is Vintage Congress Culture: PM Modi After 600 Lawyers Write CJI

New Delhi: In response to the voiced apprehensions of...

Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa’ Saga: Trilogy Confirmed with ‘The Roar’ Title

As the dust settles from the electrifying release of...

IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals Win Toss, Opt to Bowl First Against Rajasthan Royals

Jaipur: Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant won the...