An elephant – which PETA called the “saddest” in the world – has died.
Vishwamali, nicknamed Mali, died on November 28 of congestive heart failure at the Manila Zoo in Manila, Philippines.
Mali is believed to be in his late forties.
Mali’s death was announced on Tuesday in a Facebook video posted by Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna, whose happy childhood memories include frequent visits to see the elephant at the zoo.
Many on social media mourned the animal’s death, and some activists, including Dr. Jane Goodall and Paul McCartney, pleaded with the authorities to transfer the animal to an elephant sanctuary while he was still alive.
Mali lived alone in his enclosure for most of his life, according to the BBC, and arrived at the zoo in 1981.
The beloved Asian elephant first started showing signs of distress last Friday when he rubbed his trunk against a wall, a sign he was in pain, according to chief veterinarian Dr. Heinrich Patrick Peña-Domingo.
Mali died at the Manila Zoo on Tuesday. AFP via Getty Images
On Tuesday morning, Mali lay on her side breathing heavily and died in the afternoon, despite being given antihistamines and vitamins by the vet.
An autopsy revealed he had a blockage in the aorta and cancer in several organs.
He lived a much shorter life than Asian elephants in the wild, whose average lifespan is 70 years, or other captive elephants that live up to around 80 years, according to Discover Wildlife.
The Smithsonian National Zoo says that evidence shows Asian elephants live into their mid-50s with an average life expectancy of 47 years.
He moved from Sri Lanka to the Manila Zoo after the Sri Lankan government gifted him to the then first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos.
Mali shared space briefly with another elephant named Shiba, who died in 1990, but has lived alone since Shiba’s death.
PETA has named Mali the world’s saddest elephant. AFP via Getty Images
PETA released a statement on the animal’s death on Wednesday.
“We apologize, Mali. You deserve better,” the animal rights group said in a Facebook post.
“Despite PETA’s repeated warnings, Manila Zoo & city officials are ignoring Mali’s clearly painful foot problem, the leading cause of elephant deaths in captivity. Everyone who denied her veterinary care & blocked her transfer to a shelter should be held accountable,” the statement continued.
Mali lived alone in his cage for decades. AFP via Getty Images
“Thank you to everyone who rallied for his release, from Dr. Jane Goodall & Sir Paul McCartney to various Filipino stars and thousands of school students,” the statement said.
Paul McCartney has advocated that Mali be given better attention.
“I was shocked to learn that Mali never received proper preventive foot care,” he said in a 2013 letter to then-Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, Rappler reported.
Mali lived alone for decades. AFP via Getty Images An autopsy revealed that Mali died of heart failure and also had cancer. Getty Images
“Foot and joint problems are the leading cause of death among captive elephants kept on hard surfaces and when this type of care is something that every leading zoo in the world offers.”
He also wrote: “I am writing to add my voice to the many others who support the transfer of Mali, the lonely elephant currently held at the Manila Zoo, to a sanctuary in Thailand as soon as possible.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
