“We are absolutely devastated,' said the zoo's director.
ST. LOUIS — A female Asian elephant at the St. Louis Zoo died shortly after her herd became agitated from a small dog running loose, zoo officials said.“We are absolutely devastated. We ask for the community’s thoughts and support during this difficult time,” zoo Director Michael Macek said in a news release. “Our team of professional animal care experts did everything possible, but we couldn’t save Rani.
Rani was already inside the barn, eating, and didn’t see the dog. But members of the elephant care team “observed Rani become agitated in reaction to the vocalizations from the herd. They saw Rani circle and vocalize, all within a very brief period, before collapsing,” the zoo release said. Attempts to revive the elephant were unsuccessful. The rest of the herd calmed down quickly, the zoo said. Initial necropsy results showed some preexisting changes in Rani’s heart, but further tests are being conducted and zoo pathologists don’t yet know if those changes played a role in her death.
It wasn’t clear how the dog got into the zoo, which sits in the middle of sprawling Forest Park. The zoo allows service animals with certain restrictions, but not pets, a spokeswoman said.Rani and her mother, Ellie, came to the St. Louis Zoo from another zoo in July 2001. The St. Louis Zoo said the move was recommended by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan.
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