Jewel, a female Asian elephant that brought joy to millions of visitors at the Los Angeles Zoo, has died at 61 after declining health.
The mammal was the oldest Asian elephant at the zoo and had been in its care for 12 years.
Since last Sunday, animal care and veterinary staff noticed that Jewel’s health was failing and, after she spent days in intensive care, the “difficult decision to compassionately euthanize her was made by the animal care and veterinary staff when it was clear her quality of life was not going to improve,” the zoo said.
Jewel and her partner Tina, 57, lived together for 30 years in the custody of a private owner. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) removed the animals in 2009 and, after their recovery and rehabilitation, they arrived at the Los Angeles Zoo in 2010.
Over the past 12 years, “Angelenos have been able to foster connections to Asian elephants, in part to Jewel’s presence at the Zoo, and have also had the unique opportunity to see the recent bonds created with male bull Asian elephant Billy (38) and female Asian elephant Shaunzi (51)”, the LA Zoo said in a statement.
Elephants have a life expectancy of about 50 to 60 years, but some species can live many years longer, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
Endangered elephants around the world
Asian elephants are found in the forests and grasslands of Southeast Asia, with a population of about 40,000 animals still living in the wild, According to the LA Zoo. However, they are in danger of extinction and protected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Hunters target Asian elephants to strip them of their tusks and illegally traffic ivory.
The LA Zoo indicates that India is home to about 60% of the Asian elephant population, with smaller populations in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
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