I really don't know where to post this, but there was terrible
news from the Indianapolis Zoo today. Our baby elephant Amali
died this morning. This news caught everyone by surprise b/c
all the news since her surgery was so optimistic. I feel so sad
for this sweet little baby girl.I am glad that they let the other elephants say goodbye to her.
There was some sad news at the Indianapolis Zoo Tuesday morning.
Amali, the first African elephant in the world born through artificial insemination, died at around 9:30 am.
Amali was born in 2000, bringing worldwide acclaim to the zoo for its success with artificial insemination.
Last month, doctors performed surgery to correct an intestinal blockage on the 2,000-lb. female. The three-year-old elephant was fitted with a "rescue sling'' designed for horses that supported her weight while she recuperated.
"She had really been extremely stable the entire two weeks, in fact, making small steps of improvement. And, really, the death this morning was very sudden and unexpected,” said Dr. Jeff Proudfoot, senior veterinarian.
On Tuesday afternoon, the elephants seemed normal as they snacked on high branches. But they knew their extended family had suffered a loss. Their trainers made sure the animals had a chance to see the body of Amali. "They do a lot of touching and mostly through vocalizations and touching with the trunk is what they observed,” said Dr. Proudfoot.
The zoo describes Amali as a pioneer and a model for understanding the behavior of other young elephants. She was a huge attraction for families and for school field trips at the zoo.
Visitors did not always know about Amali's scientific significance the way the zoo did. But zoo leaders say they expect lots of tears from today's news both outside the zoo and inside.
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