STORM2K

Sun June 14 2009

TORONTO:
One by one they came to visit their dead.
All through the night, Thika, Toka, Iringa and Tara made their way across the Toronto Zoo enclosure to stand by their fallen sister, a 40-year-old elephant who died Saturday after a shove from a dominant member of the group.
Some stood solitary vigil, others tossed dirt on to the cooling body. But each was there to mourn Tessa, one of the original members of their herd.

Tessa fell Saturday after being pushed by another elephant looking to steal her food. Zoo staff did everything they could to get Tessa back on her feet – even bringing in a crane and sling – but she was unable to stand on her own. They tried to lift her up with the crane and she put her feet on the ground, but she just wasn't supporting herself. She just stopped breathing when we put her back down. She died slowly.

Tessa was one of the zoo's original inhabitants when it opened its doors in 1974, and during her 35 years in the elephant enclosure, millions of visitors watched her toss her trunk, take dust baths and munch on hay.
The bug-eyed, snaggle-tusked elephant was a favourite with staff, who said she was endlessly patient with her keepers.
When she died, three hours after being knocked down, the eight elephant keepers were distraught.

It was a flood of tears. Everyone kind of said their goodbyes to her. It was very quiet, people were hanging their heads and crying. ... just drained.
The docile pachyderm, who had health problems since birth, was the least dominant member of the zoo's five-female herd. She was a bit of a runt.
Her eyes were buggy and slightly crossed. Her left tusk grew in a semicircle. Her tongue curled weirdly and her mouth was crooked. Tessa also had poor muscle tone and found it difficult to use her trunk.
The zookeepers found Tessa to be a slower learner than the other elephants. She was an interesting animal. Everything was different about Tessa.

He believes Tessa's fall, soon after the elephants were given hay, was an accident. It wasn't about bullying, it was about getting food, it wasn't anything malicious.

Because of her weak trunk, Tessa was using her left foot to guide hay to her trunk. As Tessa was balancing on three legs, Thika rushed at her to gain an extra share of the hay. Tessa tried to move away and was caught off balance.
Zookeepers immediately called for help. Within minutes, the other four elephants were contained and zoo vets were on the scene.
Cole said elephants cannot stay on the ground for long because their weight puts too much pressure on their internal organs.
Tessa could not help herself stand because she had fallen on one of her back legs and was lying at an awkward angle on a hill.
During the three-hour attempt to get Tessa on her feet, zoo staff made sure the elephant remained comfortable. feeding her a whole bucket of treats at the end.
Keeper Hannah Hamel said the elephant never made a move to harm her helpers.
"It was like she understood we were trying to help her," she said.
Tessa will be buried on the zoo grounds near other elephant graves.

One day after her death, the keepers were still "cut up" by her absence. Many were remembering Tessa's favourite antics.
Tessa liked to toss hay on her head, she would go around with a blob of hay on her head, like a hat. She looked ridiculous.

Former elephant keeper Tony Meuleman, now senior keeper at the zoo's Canadian Domain, said Tessa was a long-time favourite.
"She would put her trunk out and let me rub her tongue," he said. "She was a gentle soul, very gentle."

-justin-

Oh how I love elephants. This is a very sad story.

Thanks for sharing.

Sad story. It's so humane how elephants mourn their dead.

RIP Tessa. You touched a lot of souls.

Very sad.

just an update:
Tessa was buried on Monday at the burial grounds at the zoo. An autoposy was done and it was found that water had been collecting around Tessa's heart (no wonder she was such a gentle giant) .

The loveable elephant that had called the Toronto Zoo home for 35 years of her 39 year old life weighed 8,100 lbs.

-justin-

My kids and I fondly remember her from our many visits to the zoo over the years. I always found it strange how animals, elephants in particular, seemed to watched you more intently than you watched them. Whales do the same.

whales probably watch us wondering how best to eat us when we get into the water.

elephants on the other hand probably wonder what kinda strange elephants we are, to be looking the way we do

animals are so much fun

tropicana wrote:whales probably watch us wondering how best to eat us when we get into the water.

elephants on the other hand probably wonder what kinda strange elephants we are, to be looking the way we do

animals are so much fun

Not humpback whales, or whales of the "balleen" (sp?) family... you're thinking Orcas...

TORONTO ZOO LOSES ANOTHER ELEPHANT
TARA has died
Zoo has 3 remaining elephants
Mon Nov 30, 2009

An elephant at the Toronto Zoo died this morning after zoo staff found her lying down, unable to stand up.

Tara, the 41-year-old "matriarch" of the elephant herd, had not exhibited any recent health concerns, Eric Cole, supervisor of the zoo's African Savanna, said. She was found by animal care staff shortly before 8 a.m. Monday morning, who tried in vain to lift the 8,500-pound animal back onto her feet. They were unable to hoist her back up, and she died at 11 a.m.

Tara was out in public as recently as last weekend, Cole said, and appeared to be doing well. "She was in good form, chasing the others and being her usual bossy self," he said. "She wasn't lethargic; she was eating."

The zoo will conduct a post-mortem examination with the assistance of the Ontario Veterinary College to determine Tara's exact cause of death. According to the zoo, the average lifespan of an elephant is between 40 and 45 years.

Another elephant, Tessa, died at Toronto Zoo five months ago after being pushed over by another elephant. However, Cole ruled that out as a possibility in this case, saying Tara was alone in her pen at the time.

Tara has lived at Toronto Zoo since 1974, arriving from southern Africa shortly after the zoo opened, and as many as 50 million people have visited Tara since. According to Cole, she had been "the boss" of the elephant herd for the past four years since the death of Patsy, the herd's previous matriarch.

"If there was a disagreement between other elephants, she would break it up," Cole said. "She liked to be the one in control. She'd go over and just by getting close to whoever she was going to interact with, they'd run away. Sometimes she'd throw her trunk at them. She didn't have to do much."

Toka, a 40-year-old elephant, is the new matriarch of the three remaining elephants, Cole said. Iringa, 40 and Thika, 30, round out the herd.

Cole acknowledged that the three remaining elephants are older, saying that "whenever we lose an elephant, we have to reassess how the loss will affect the dynamic of the group." He said that the zoo will examine its options after the grieving period.

Toka, Iringa and Thika were given time alone with Tara's body Monday morning to mourn their loss.

"They were out for three hours with her, and were just kind of standing around her," Cole said.

A number of the zoo's elephant keepers came in on their days off to say goodbye as well. "The elephants really get you," Cole said. "The staff are all devastated."

I don't know how long they normally live in captivity, but perhaps it was due to her age. At least it seems like she wasn't ill for a long time and she didn't suffer.

Two in one year. It must be really difficult for the staff. Now Tessa and Tara will be together again.

SIBERIAN TIGER DIES AT TORONTO ZOO
TONGUA, 17, , THE TIGER HAS DIED
Thu Feb 18 2010

TORONTO: A tiger who fathered nine cubs of his endangered species has died, leaving his partner as the only Siberian tiger at the Toronto Zoo.
Tongua, who was 17, did not recover from sedation after a lengthy surgery on Sunday.
Dr. William Rapley, the zoo’s executive director of biology and conservation, said zoo workers became concerned when the tiger went off food about 10 days before he died.
“He was always bright and cheerful but he seemed somewhat depressed,” Rapley said. “On Sunday morning he seemed to be weak and staggery, not doing very well.”

Rapley and two clinical veterinarians decided to tranquilize the 400-pound animal to run tests. When they found an enlarged abdomen, spleen and liver problems, they decided to do exploratory surgery.
“After the surgery, he seemed to be recovering from anesthetic, then he passed away,” Rapley said.
A post-mortem on Monday revealed lesions and “we’re suspicious of cancer,” Rapley said, adding that test results won’t be back for a little while.
Rapley said the surgery was a prolonged procedure, and the amount of fluid in the tiger’s body cavities made it very difficult for him to recover.
“We did the best we could … to try and save him,” he said. “Staff are very upset when you lose any animal.”

Tigers in captivity generally live between 16 to 20 years, Rapley said.
He called Tongua an “extremely important” animal at the zoo, with strong genetics from a Russian line of Siberian tigers. Born in a Zurich zoo, he arrived in Toronto in 1994 and produced nine offspring.

There are fewer than 400 Siberian tigers alive in the wild, where the animals must contend with human development and hunters.

As part of the Tiger Species Survival Plan, the Toronto Zoo has bred 34 Siberian cubs, and Tongua and his partner Tatiana played a big role in that program.
Tatiana is now the only Siberian tiger at the zoo.

Rapley said the zoo will receive new young tigers for breeding through the species survival plan, but it may take a little while.

As the Year of the Tiger continues, visitors to the zoo can still see three Sumatran tigers as well as Tatiana.he was on display yesterday, walking around,” Rapley said. “Tigers tend to be quite solitary in nature. They get together for breeding.”

Rapley said Tongua will be remembered as a “bright, bold and active animal.”

“He got on quite well with some of the keepers.”

Orlando, FL
Wed March 3 2010
MARY, 63, THE ELEPHANT HAS DIED

Zookeepers and other workers at the Central Florida Zoo and Botantical Gardens are mourning the loss of a 63-year-old elephant named Mary.
Zoo officials say Mary, who died Tuesday evening, had an age-related illnesses. A necropsy is being conducted to determine the specific cause of death.

The zoo's director of animal collections, Bonnie Breitbeil, says that Maude, the zoo's other elephant was able to say goodbye and that like people, elephants also mourn.
Mary was born in 1946 and joined a circus in the United States in 1952. She came to zoo in 1983.
Mary liked when zookeepers rubbed her stomach and was known for sneaking up on new keepers.
According to the zoo, Mary was the third-oldest Asian elephant on record at an Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited zoo in the United States.

Tongua sounds like he had a good life at the Toronto Zoo, much like the two elephants that passed away in December. They were all old and I think it says a lot about the zoo that they did live a long life.

The zoo keepers must be reeling from these losses.