An elephant dubbed the world’s saddest has died at the age of 49 after spending almost half a century alone.
Vishwamaali, better known as Mali to the locals, died on November 28 of congestive heart failure after more than four decades in a dingy enclosure at the Manila Zoo.
Footage taken hours before her death shows Mali using her last energy to greet children and their parents who visited her at the Manila Zoo on November 27.
She was the only jumbo in the Philippines and arrived as a gift from Sri Lanka in 1977 at the age of three Imelda Marcos, the infamous shoe-loving wife of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The Asian elephant spent most of her life without companions and was described by the NGO People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as one of the ‘saddest in the world’.
Mali, the Asian elephant, lived in Manila and was called “the saddest in the world” by PETA
Mali arrived in 1977 as a gift to Imelda Marcos and became the only elephant in the Philippines
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said in a video statement on Tuesday, “It saddens me to share the news that our beloved Vishwamaali, better known as Mali, passed away today, November 28, at 3:45 PM at the Manila Zoo. ‘
Mali’s body was taken for a necropsy to find more details about her death.
Officials said that in addition to heart failure, she also suffered from cancer and limited blood circulation.
There was also pus in her uterus, while her kidneys were slightly inflamed.
An official from the Manila Zoo, where Maali has lived for 40 years, said: “Mali’s death was sudden.
‘In animals there is something we call asymptomatic symptoms, where she could have had a disease that we couldn’t detect.
‘Animals are not people who can talk or be asked about their condition.’
In recent years there have been calls to release Maali and send her to a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand, but the calls have been rejected, including a 2012 campaign backed by British singer Morrissey.
PETA, along with cultural and political leaders, elephant experts and more than 100,000 “compassionate people from around the world,” were among those calling for her release – pleas rejected by the city of Manila.
Then-Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso said in a 2021 interview: “It may not be ideal to return her to the wild because she grew up in that environment. Maybe it would be more harmful to transport her. We will provide her with the best services.”
But after news of her death, PETA said in a statement: “Because of indifference and greed, Mali the elephant died the same way she had lived for nearly 50 years: alone in a concrete cage at the Manila Zoo.”
‘Mali was still a nursing baby when she was taken from her home in Sri Lanka, where she was just learning to swim, socialize with her cousins and find her own food.
“The Manila Zoo and the City of Manila have sentenced Mali to decades of solitary confinement, which is torturous for female elephants, who naturally spend their lives among their mothers and sisters, protecting each other and raising each other’s calves.
‘Despite repeated warnings, zoo and city officials ignored Mali’s apparent painful foot problems, the leading cause of death in captive elephants. If foot problems played a role in Mali’s death, anyone who denied her veterinary care and blocked her transfer to a shelter must be held accountable.”
PETA urged: “People everywhere can do their part to protect other elephants by staying away from businesses that exhibit animals for entertainment.”
Video footage shows Mali greeting children and parents the day before her death, on Monday
Elephants are social animals and live in herds of up to a hundred people. Pictured: Mali at the Manila Zoo this year
Mali died Tuesday of congestive heart failure after four decades at the Manila Zoo alone
Asian elephants are social animals that live in herds of up to 100 individuals. They are led by a matriarch, the oldest and most experienced female in the herd.
Asian elephants such as Mali are also endangered; it is estimated that only 48,000 to 51,680 individuals remain in the wild.
The main threats to Asian elephants are habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans.