Manila Zoo’s lone elephant Mali dies

MANILA, Philippines – Vishwa Ma’ali, popularly known as Mali, the last remaining elephant of Manila Zoo, died around 3:45 pm on Tuesday, November 28, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said.

The necropsy is currently being conducted to determine the true cause of her death.

Since she was given the the care of City of Manila in May 1981, Maali has been part of the childhood of many Filipinos visiting the zoo in the country’s capital.

After being shipped from Sri Lanka when she was three years old, Maali, an Asian elephant, was believed to be suffering from profound loneliness after living most of her entire adult life without companions of the same species.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals described Mali as one of the “world’s saddest elephant.”

There have been calls to release Maali from former Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada to Isko Moreno. These appeals, however, were all rejected.

In 2012, a campaign was launched to free the elephant, which had drawn support from Philippine bishops, global pop stars, and  Nobel Laureate John Maxwell Coetzee. 

– Rappler.com