An Asian elephant — estimated to be around 72 years old — was euthanized at the National Zoo on Friday, according to a news release.
Ambika was assumed to be the third oldest Asian elephant in the North American population, with most of females in the breed only living to their 40s.
“Ambika truly was a giant among our conservation community,” said Steven Monfort, John and Adrienne Mars Director at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, in a statement.
“For the past five decades, Ambika served as both an ambassador and a pioneer for her species. It is not an exaggeration to say that much of what scientists know about Asian elephant biology, behavior, reproduction and ecology is thanks to Ambika’s participation in our conservation-research studies.”
When Ambika was eight, she was captured in the wild and worked as a logging elephant until 1961, when she was given to the Zoo as a gift from the children of India, according to the National Zoo.
Ambika had osteoarthritis that she developed in her late 60s, according to the zoo, and was being treated for pain and to help slow the progression of the disease with anti-inflammatories and joint supplements. She also had lesions on her footpads and nails that were being treated with regular foot baths, pedicures and topical and oral medications and antibiotics, the zoo said.
Last week, the zoo said that zookeepers noticed that Ambika’s right front leg developed a curve that weakened her ability to stand, and they were concerned when she chose not to explore her habitat as much as she normally would, or engage with her keepers or the elephants that she lived with.
The National Zoo said that, “given her extremely old age, decline, physically and socially, and poor long-term prognosis,” they felt they had, “exhausted all treatment options and made the decision to humanely euthanize her.”
Her euthanasia took place in the Elephant Barn. Ambika’s elephant companions were not there for the procedure, but the zoo said that they were given an opportunity to spend some time with her, citing that many scientists believe that the process of exploring the body of their deceased companion is a recognition of the death and is likely part of a grieving process, according to a news release.
For approximately 15 to 20 minutes, Shanthi and Bozie walked around Ambika, quietly sniffed and touched her with their trunks.
The zoo says that Ambika was one of the most researched elephants in the world and that elephant keepers trained Ambika to voluntarily participate in daily husbandry care and medical procedures, giving Zoo scientists better understanding of the behavior, biology, reproduction and ecology of Asian elephants.
Ambika was the first elephant to receive the gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccine to prevent leiomyomas — fibroids in the uterus — which are a known cause of mortality in Asian elephants in human care, according to the zoo.
The National Zoo is currently closed due to coronavirus concerns, but if you are interested in learning more about the elephants, visit the zoo’s Elephant Cam.
