Indian war elephant

War elephants were used in India for centuries before Alexander’s arrival there. They typically carried a crew of three or four, including a driver, or mahout. The riders were typically armed with bows and sometimes javelins. An elephant’s tusks might also be tipped with poison to make the risk of being gouged even greater. However, while the animals were a formidable weapon, once injured they were prone to rampage indiscriminately — killing fighters on either side — or try to quit the field, especially if their drivers were slain. Living for up to 80 years, the best fighting animals were thought to be around 40 years old.