An elephant at the Los Angeles Zoo died this week, the second in about a year, and just days before animal activists are set to hold a vigil at the zoo to mourn elephants who have died in captivity.
Shaunzi, a 53-year-old female Asian elephant, was euthanized early Wednesday, according to zoo officials.
Around 8:30 pm on Tuesday, Shaunzi was seen lying down in the exhibit she shared with the zoo’s other elephant, Tina, and appeared unable to get up. Veterinarians and zoo care staff evaluated her condition, but efforts to help her were unsuccessful. She was sedated and subsequently euthanized.
“The decision to euthanize Shaunzi was a consensus decision made by his care team based on several factors, including prognosis and well-being,” zoo officials said in an email. “These factors include her age, medical history, her inability to cope with supportive parenting efforts” and other concerns.
“As a result, it was deemed in the best interest of her well-being to let her go,” the statement concludes.
Shaunzi is the second Los Angeles Zoo elephant to die in about a year after Jewel, a 61-year-old female, was euthanized in January 2023 due to what zoo officials said was deteriorating quality. of life. Asian elephants typically have a lifespan of 60 to 70 years in the wild, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The Los Angeles Zoo has two Asian elephants left: Tina, 58, who arrived at the zoo in 2010, and Billy, a 39-year-old male who has been at the zoo since 1989.
Shaunzi was born in 1970 in Thailand, where she lived for about a year before being captured and used in circus jobs in the United States. In 1983, she was delivered to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, where she lived before being moved to the Los Angeles Zoo in 2017.
“Shaunzi lived a full life and was an ambassador for her species,” the zoo said in a statement after her death. “She helped Angelenos learn about their wild counterparts and the challenges they face in their native range.”
Shaunzi’s death comes days before a group of animal welfare activists are scheduled to hold the annual International Elephant Candlelight Vigil in front of the Los Angeles Zoo. The event aims to honor elephants who have died in captivity over the past year in zoos and sanctuaries around the world, as well as highlight the range of problems they face compared to elephants in the wild, including medical problems such as arthritis and the bones. infectious osteomyelitis.
“The lack of space alone is extremely cruel, because their brains and bodies are made to walk long distances,” said Courtney Scott, an elephant consultant for In Defense of Animals, one of the groups behind the event.
The vigil will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday outside the Los Angeles Zoo, at 5333 Zoo Drive. Zoo officials said they were aware of the event but declined to comment further.
