article_snippet: The rare egg, which is 12 inches long and more than eight inches in diametre, belonged to the now extinct elephant bird that lived on Madagascar.
article_snippet: There are thought to be just 25 preserved intact elephant bird eggs left in existence, with most in museums.
article_snippet: Auctioneers Rob Michiels, who is selling the egg along with other items from Dr Caspers collection said: 'The eggs of elephant birds are extremely rare - there are probably 25 of The eggs of elephant birds in the world. '
article_snippet: a similar egg is one of the largest in the world and was laid by the now extinct elephant bird (right) which grew to around ten feet tall and lived in Madagascar until the 17th Century .
article_snippet: Fossilised egg fragments can still be found on the ground in some parts of Madagascar.
article_snippet: David Attenborough, the natural history broadcaster, owns an almost complete eggshell that David Attenborough pieced together from fragments collected by locals while David Attenborough filmed Zoo Quest to Madagasar in 1961.
article_snippet: Douglas G. D. Russell, senior curator of birds, eggs and nests at the Natural History Museum in London, said Another elephant bird egg were now very rare.
article_snippet: Douglas G. D. Russell, senior curator of birds, eggs and nests at the Natural History Museum in London said: 'The export of Another elephant bird egg eggs from Madagascar is now strictly forbidden by Madagascar’s legislation and complete eggs are relatively rare. '
article_snippet: As a rare, complete egg of an extinct species with some, albeit minimal, foetal bone a rare, complete egg of an extinct species with some, albeit minimal, foetal bone is noteworthy and all additional information on this enormous enigmatic bird is exciting.'
article_snippet: Broadcaster David Attenborough is one of the few people to won a giant elephant bird egg after Broadcaster David Attenborough pieced one together from fragments brought to Broadcaster David Attenborough by locals while Broadcaster David Attenborough was filming in Madagascar for the BBC in 1961 .
article_snippet: Another elephant bird egg .
highlights_snippet: The egg, which belonged to a German biologist, has an eight inch diametre .
  
highlights_snippet: CT scans is thought to be one of only 25 intact elephant bird eggs left in the world .
  