Ankus

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by ariel

One of the problems was how to stop the elephant that went berserk on the battlefield. Mahouts carried a massive spike with them that they were supposed to hammer into the joint between the skull and the spine of the animal thus paralyzing them instantly.
The gun ( depending on the caliber) might have fulfilled the same role.

Maybe that is what the hidden spike in some ankus is for and not a weapon at all, a last resort anti-elephant kill switch.