(SPOT.ph) Manila Zoo’s lone elephant, Vishwa Ma’ali or Mali for short, has passed on November 28 at 3:45 p.m. due to heart failure. She was with the Manila Zoo for 43 years.
In a press conference, the zoo's senior veterinarian Dr. Heinrich Patrick “Chip” Domingo said Mali’s aorta was congested with thick fat, ultimately resulting in her death. It was also found Mali had several tumors in her pancreas and kidney.
“Nahihirapan na po iyong puso niya i-pump iyong enough blood sa katawan dahil sa dami ng organs na affected po sa kaniya,” Domingo said.
Mali's passing didn't come as much of a surprise to her caretakers—they saw her struggling since last week. As per Domingo's account: On Friday, Mali seemed irritable; on Saturday, she lost her appetite and rubbed her trunk against the wall; on Tuesday, she lay on her left side and kept still for hours. She was clearly struggling in her breathing, which led Domingo to administer emergency drugs. By 11:30 a.m., Mali’s pupils were dilated.
Mali was 43 years old when the Philippines lost her, which is relatively old considering most Asian elephants only live up to 40 years when in captivity.
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What was Mali the elephant's life like at Manila Zoo?
Mali was the Manila Zoo’s main attraction, for the simple reason that she’s the only elephant in the country.
Mali was a female Asian Elephant born in Sri Lanka in 1974 and was gifted to the Philippines' First Lady Imelda Marcos in 1981. She was sent to the care and protection of the Manila Zoo, which was one of Asia’s only zoos at that time. Her caretakers, Noel and Boy, fed her 150 kilograms of grass, vegetables, and fruits every day while being monitored 24/7.
The Manila Zoo has kept Mali alive—but not without controversy.
In 2012, animal rights group PETA called for Mali’s transfer to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand where she would receive rehabilitation and be with her kind. Throughout the campaign, Mali was named “perhaps one of the world’s saddest elephants” for being confined to a barren concrete enclosure. Several local lawmakers, even The Beatles’ Paul McCartney, urged then President Benigno Aquino III for Mali’s transfer.
However, the Manila government claimed that the picture used in PETA's campaign was of an emaciated elephant at a Russia zoo. Other animal welfare advocates like Isa Garchitorena also argued against Mali moving to Thailand.
“Mali may not be housed with other elephants here, but she is not without family. Her family are her keepers, her vets, her beloved volunteers and the millions of Filipino children that have watched her grow into the Mali that she is today,” Garchitorena wrote on a Facebook post.
In 2018, Mali's blood tests revealed she was at "the pink of health." She was given a bigger pen with a hard earth floor when the Manila Zoo was renovated and reopened in 2022.
For now, Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna said they are planning to preserve her remains through taxidermy. In addition, they will be following up with the Sri Lanka government on another promised elephant to the Manila Zoo to replace Mali's absence.
The Manila government said there will be no public viewing of Mali's remains.
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