San Diego Zoo has an endless number of animal species, and though visitors only know a few of them, workers, caretakers, and staff are the ones that form a special bond with these animals. This is why when they get older and start getting sick, sometimes, difficult decisions must be made.

Sometime ago, one of these difficult decisions had to be made, due to the health of a 45-year-old Asian elephant named Devi. She was euthanized; information shared by the zoo stated that she had been in pain due to ailments related to her age.

Devi had been under medical supervision to try to alleviate her pain during a period of time; however, her mobility started to decline despite therapies. After monitoring her and assessing her quality-of-life options, the difficult choice to compassionately euthanize her was made.

Devi came to the zoo in 1977 from an elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka. It was shared that two elephants that lived with her, Mary and Shaba, had the opportunity to see her and say goodbye to her. Devi left a great legacy regarding understanding the importance of elephant conservation as she was an ambassador for her species. Staff at San Diego Zoo thanked visitors’ support during these difficult times.