The most studied elephant in the world dies in the US zoo
At the zoo in Washington, at the age of 45, the elephant Shanti died, who participated in many studies aimed at preserving the appearance of Asian elephants.
Last Friday at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park was overshadowed by the death of 45-year-old elephant Shanti, who was euthanized. Zoo employees decided to stop the suffering of an animal with osteoarthritis.
The life expectancy of elephants in the zoo is less than in the wild, and is, on average, 46 years. Animals cannot tell people about the discomfort associated with the disease, but changes in behavior, appetite, mobility, and contact with relatives may indicate pain. Zoo staff confirmed Shanti's disease when they assessed the level of stress hormones and tracked osteoarthritis markers. Shanti became the first representative of the genus to receive injections of protein whey to contain the disease.
Zoo director Stephen Monfort noted that a whole generation of employees and visitors fell in love and became attached to Shanti. The elephant came to the National Zoo from an elephant shelter in Sri Lanka in 1976 and soon became a real Internet celebrity.
Last Friday at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park was overshadowed by the death of 45-year-old elephant Shanti, who was euthanized. Zoo employees decided to stop the suffering of an animal with osteoarthritis.
The life expectancy of elephants in the zoo is less than in the wild, and is, on average, 46 years. Animals cannot tell people about the discomfort associated with the disease, but changes in behavior, appetite, mobility, and contact with relatives may indicate pain. Zoo staff confirmed Shanti's disease when they assessed the level of stress hormones and tracked osteoarthritis markers. Shanti became the first representative of the genus to receive injections of protein whey to contain the disease.
Zoo director Stephen Monfort noted that a whole generation of employees and visitors fell in love and became attached to Shanti. The elephant came to the National Zoo from an elephant shelter in Sri Lanka in 1976 and soon became a real Internet celebrity.
