Maryland Zoo announces oldest African elephant, Anna euthanized after fall

BALTIMORE, Md. (DC News Now) — The Maryland Zoo has announced that its oldest African elephant, Anna died on Tuesday, at 49 years old.

In an announcement on Thursday, Oct. 17, the zoo said Anna was euthanized 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,” said the Maryland Zoo, in a press release.

Elephants can live up to about 70 years in the wild, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

According to IFAW, there was a study done by the African Wildlife Foundation that found that elephants live longer in the wild compared to if they were in captivity. The study found that wild elephants lived three times as long on average.

Anna was the oldest African elephant, also known as Loxodonta africana, at the Maryland Zoo.

She first arrived at the Maryland Zoo, in Baltimore, in July of 1983. According to the zoo’s website, she came to Maryland from the former Terry Lou Zoo in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

The Maryland Zoo said she was the cornerstone of the elephant herd and became a beloved ambassador for her species.

During her time in Maryland, Anna benefitted from a comprehensive care plan that enhanced her well-being through a combination of physical therapy, diet, anti-inflammatory medications, and stimulating enrichment as she aged.

She also participated in strength and mobility-enhancing exercises and multimodal joint support.

The Maryland Zoo said due to Anna’s age, she had a choice of different flooring materials that were more gentle on her joints.

The zoo said Anna had a great relationship with her keepers and excelled in training. Officials said her resilience allowed the elephant and veterinary teams to devise a care plan that allowed her to thrive.

To honor her memory, the zoo has created a memorial comment form, that will be shared with the teams that cared for Anna.

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