The last Asian elephant at the Phoenix Zoo died Thursday morning. Zoo staff euthanized Indu the elephant due to her physical limitations and deteriorating health. She lived to be 59 years.
Indu the elephant arrived at the Phoenix Zoo in 1998. During her time, the zoo said Indu became a messenger for animal conservation efforts. Efforts to integrate Indu with other elephants did not succeed, resulting in being in her own space.
Animal rights organizers previously pushed the Phoenix Zoo to send Indu to an animal sanctuary and cited her living conditions.
In a prerecorded message, the zoo had said that moving Indu would not be feasible considering her well-being.
“There are many risks associated with moving an elephant of Indu’s age. We feel that this type of move would not be beneficial to her well-being," she said.
The Phoenix Zoo reiterated its plan to not currently receive any elephants. The zoo also said Indu was transferred to a facility for a “comprehensive necropsy” to learn more about elephant health conditions to share with the scientific community.
