Los Angeles Zoo mourns death of Asian elephant Shaunzi

The Los Angeles Zoo is saying goodbye to Shaunzi, one of its Asian elephants who was humanely euthanized earlier this week at the age of 53.

Around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Shaunzi was found on the ground and unable to get up inside the Thai Yard section of the Elephants of Asia exhibit. The zoo’s veterinary staff worked overnight to to try and help her back to her feet, but those efforts proved to be unsuccessful.

“The incident resulted in the heartbreaking decision to sedate and euthanize Shaunzi in the early morning hours of Jan. 3,” an official for Los Angeles Zoo said in a statement.

Shaunzi was one of the zoo’s two female elephants, alongside Tina, with whom she shared a habitat. Shaunzi arrived at L.A. Zoo in 2017 to spend the rest of her days alongside fellow elephants including Tina, bull elephant Billy and Jewel — an elderly female who died last summer at the age of 61.

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Shaunzi previously lived at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo for more than 30 years after she was rescued from circus life in Thailand.

Zoo officials said they were devastated by the loss, but were uplifted by the knowledge that the Asian elephant lived a full life and served as an ambassador for her species.

“She helped Angelenos learn about her wild counterparts and the challenges they face in their native range,” a zoo spokesperson said.

Asian elephants are considered “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with only an estimated 40,000 remaining in the wild. They are often the victims of poachers who kill them for their tusks and much of their habitat has been destroyed or fragmented by human expanse.

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Although she will be missed by staff, members and the millions of people who visit the zoo each year, Los Angeles Zoo officials stress that the wellbeing of the elephants and all the animals at the zoo is “always a top priority.”

“The responsibility of keeping animals is a privilege and the Zoo is committed to providing the highest standard of care to ensure the animals’ health and their ability to thrive,” a zoo official said.

For more information about the elephants at Los Angeles Zoo, click here.

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