Hanako the jumbo dies in Japanese zoo aged 69
Print Edition
JAPANESE animal lovers were yesterday mourning the death of the country’s oldest elephant, Hanako, who passed away “quietly” aged 69 after triggering protests over her captivity.
Hanako, which means “Flower Child” in Japanese, became something of a cause celebre last year following an international campaign to improve the aging pachyderm’s cramped living conditions.
The cause of death was not immediately known, zookeepers said, adding that an autopsy would be conducted later in the day and that the animal’s body is to be donated to medical research.
According to Guinness World Records, the oldest known elephant was Lin Wang, an Asian elephant who lived until the grand old age of 86 and died in 2003 at Taipei Zoo in Taiwan. Captive elephants have a life expectancy of 40-plus years.
Mourners flocked to Tokyo’s Inokashira Park Zoo to pay their respects yesterday with more than 70 condolence cards left for Hanako by well-wishers.
“Fans are visiting the park to place flowers in front of Hanako’s enclosure,” said Hiroshi Mashima, in charge of information and education at the zoo.
Hanako died on Thursday after 20 zoo staff members tried to raise her to her feet by rope, a common technique used when elephants remain lying on the floor, Mashima said.
Elephants die if they lie on their side for a prolonged period of time as it can crush their internal organs, he said.
“She passed away quietly and calmly,” Kiyoshi Nagai, head of the zoo, was quoted as saying by Japan’s Kyodo news agency. “It’s truly a pity. She was the most beloved elephant in Japan.”
Hanako, who lived longer than the 55 to 60-year mean life span of wild elephants, became a media star last year after a blog by a Canadian animal rights activist led to an online petition.
“I was shocked and dismayed to see the conditions of her confinement first-hand,” wrote Ulara Nakagawa.
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