BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Zoo is saddened to announce the death of its oldest African elephant (Loxodonta africana), Anna, who was euthanized on Tuesday after a fall. Given her age and multiple known medical issues, the Zoo made the difficult decision that euthanasia was in the animal’s best interest.
At 49 years old, Anna lived well beyond the median life expectancy for her species, which is 38.1 years for female African elephants. She benefitted from a comprehensive care plan that enhanced her wellbeing through a combination of physical therapy, diet, antiinflammatory medications, and stimulating enrichment as she aged. In addition to strength and mobility-enhancing exercises and multimodal joint support, Anna had a choice of different flooring materials, both indoors and outdoors, that were more gentle on her joints.
She had a close relationship with her keepers and excelled at training, voluntarily participating in her medical care as she aged. Her resilient disposition allowed the elephant and veterinary teams to jointly devise a care plan for her that allowed her to age gracefully and thrive.
Anna was the cornerstone of the Zoo’s elephant herd for many decades since her arrival in July of 1983, from the former Terry Lou Zoo in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, becoming a beloved ambassador for her species.
In honor of Anna, we created a memorial comment form below. Messages submitted will be shared with the teams that cared for Anna. Your kind words are enough, but anyone wishing to further support the Zoo, our conservation mission, and Anna’s legacy can make a direct donation.
Send A Message To The Zoo In Memory Of Anna
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