The zoo announced she was humanely euthanized after her health deteriorated due to age-related joint ailments. She lived to be 59, exceeding the average life expectancy for her species.
Mary exceeded the average life expectancy for her species and lived as an ambassador for Asian elephants, according to the San Diego Zoo. Her presence at the Elephant Odyssey habitat helped educate visitors about the difference between Asian and African elephants, as well as their unique life experiences and challenges.
Following her death, Mary’s enclosure roommate, Shaba, was able to see her and offer her goodbyes. The zoo said Shaba will “have her choice to socialize with neighboring elephants, Nipho and Sundzu.”According to the zoo, Mary first moved to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 1980 and then to the San Diego Zoo in 2009. She was a confident elephant who was gentle around visitors and the wildlife care team.
“The grief of Mary’s passing is only assuaged by the countless lives that she touched,” Greg Vicino, interim Vice President of Wildlife Care at the San Diego Zoo, said in a statement. “She brought people into contact with a wild they could only imagine, and through her care we learned more about the behavior, physiology, and the psychology of one of the world’s most iconic species.
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