Ambika, the beloved eldest member of Asian Elephant herd in Smithsonian's National Zoo was 'humanely euthanized' on March 27 following an irreversible decline in her health. Rank as the third oldest Asian elephant in the North American population, the animal care staff estimated Ambika to be around 72 years old.
Steven Monfort, the director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute said in a statement that, "Ambika truly was a giant among our conservation community." Dubbed by her keepers as "queen", Ambika has been part of the Smithsonian National Zoo family for 59 years already.
The elderly elephant was born in India in 1948 and captured in the Coorg forest by the age of 8 to use as a logging elephant until the year 1961. Ambika shortly came to the zoo as a gift from the children of India.
According to her longtime keeper Marie Galloway, the beloved giant was put to sleep at around 9:15 a.m. on March 27 after she laid down in the elephant's barn sedated, where she is out of sight of her compound mates Shanti and Bozie, 44 and 45 years old respectively.
Ambika's Recent Treatment
National Zoo's elephant and veterinary teams regularly have meetings regarding each elephant's overall health and ongoing treatments. Already in her late 60s, Ambika had undergone treatment for osteoarthritis although it was incurable but animal care staff were able to give her assistance in reducing her pain and slow the progression of her illness.
The zoo's veterinarians prescribed her with anti-inflammatories, pain reliever and different joint supplements. Overtime, Ambika developed lesions on her footpads and nails even though the medications work. The team of caretakers and veterinarians also administered topical medications and oral and topical antibiotics aside from giving her regular baths and pedicure to treat these issues. But there seems not enough because they were unable to control and prevent its further progression.
The Zoo reported last week that they have noticed the elephant's right-front leg developed a curve that weakened her ability to stand. It is also the leg that is most impacted by her weight. The staff grew anxious when Ambika chooses not to explore her habitat and engage with her keepers or other elephants. They have felt that they have already exhausted all options of treatment to her because of her extremely old age, decline, and poor long-term prognosis so they decided to humanely euthanize her.
Asian Elephant Conservation
Asian elephants are native to 13 countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Poaching, habitat loss and human-elephant conflict have made these elephants endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their population is estimated to be between 30,000 and 50,000. Their survival helps maintain the biological diversity and ecology of large areas that is why they are considered as an umbrella species.
Veterinarians at the Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are making a complete view of Asian elephants' including its biology, behavior, the elephant endotheliotropic virus (EEHV), and the challenges that surround the conflict between humans and elephants. The zoo and the institute have been at the forefront of studying Asian elephants at the zoo and their natural habitats. They are uniquely positioned to spearhead efforts that improve the Asian elephants' lives in zoos and save the world because of their relations with the United States and foreign governments, NGO's, and major academic and zoological organizations in elephant range countries.
The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Institute are temporarily closed as a health precaution due to COVID-19.
