epa03642426 James Hyslop, Scientific Specialist for Christie’s auction house holds up an extremely rare and complete sub-fossilised elephant bird egg at Christie’s auction house in London, Britain, 27 March 2013. The egg which is over a hundred times larger than an average chicken egg is native to Madagascar and was the largest bird ever to have lived. Resembling a heavily built ostrich it grew to over three meters in height. Its thought to have been hunted to extinction in Madagascar between the 14th and 17th centuries. Fragments of the egg can still be found in the southern part of the island, but whole examples are very rare. The egg is estimated to fetch USD25-35,000 at Christie’s Travel, Science and Natural History sale in London 24 April. EPA/ANDY RAIN