Beloved elephant dies in zoo after rowdy dog scares her to death
An endangered elephant collapsed and died after a loose dog running around in the zoo led to her becoming agitated.
The 27-year-old female Asian elephant, called Rani, passed away on Friday, October 13 following the commotion in the St Louis Zoo, Missouri. According to the zoo, the elephant died around 20 minutes after the dog was seen running in a non-public area near the Elephant Barn.
While the dog was collected and handed over to a shelter, its presence caused one elephant that was outside to become agitated. While Rani was indoors in her bedroom having dinner and did not see the dog, she became agitated after hearing the vocalisations from the herd, Saint Louis Zoo said.
READ MORE: Rare 'Dumbo' octopus spotted in Hawaii's marine monument
"They saw Rani circle and vocalise, all within a very brief period, before collapsing," the zoo said in a statement. "Upon Rani’s fall, the Zoo’s Elephant Care and Animal Health teams immediately performed emergency care, however, they were unsuccessful in reviving her."
Furious chimp launches bottle at girl filming him leaving her bleeding at zoo
Initial results from a necropsy performed by the zoo's pathologist revealed some pre-existing changes in Rani's heart. Further testing is being conducted to determine the significance of these changes.
“Rani was a special member of this elephant family group,” said Katie Pilgram-Kloppe, Zoological Manager of River’s Edge. “She loved playing with her sisters Maliha and Priya. While growing up here in St. Louis, she got to learn from her own mom, Ellie, on how to be an amazing mother herself.
For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US
Asian Elephants Rani, left, and her mum Ellie arrived at Saint Louis Zoo in July 2001 (AP)"She had a great relationship with her animal care team and all of the other elephants. When socialising with her family she made a unique squeaking noise that her daughter Jade also mimics.”
River’s Edge keeper Becky added: “It’s been a privilege to get to know Rani from just a youngster when she moved here to then watch her become a mother and grow with the elephant family. She will be greatly missed.”
Rani was mother to Jade, Kenzi and Avi, and daughter to Ellie. The Zoo’s bull elephant Raja fathered Rani and Ellie’s calves. The mother and daughter duo, Rani and Ellie, came to the Saint Louis Zoo in July 2001, at age 5 and 29 respectively, after the move was recommended by the AZA Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan.
There are less than 50,000 Asian elephants left in the wild, and they are facing extinction due to habitat loss and poaching. According to the World Wildlife Fund, Asian elephants weigh around 11,000 lbs and can be up to 11.5ft tall.
Saint Louis Zoo is home to a three-generation family of Asian elephants. The zoo has confirmed the rest of the herd "calmed down quickly" after Rani's death and "are all doing well".
“We are absolutely devastated. We ask for the community’s thoughts and support during this difficult time,” said Michael Macek, Saint Louis Zoo Director. “Our team of professional animal care experts did everything possible, but we couldn’t save Rani.”
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
