Baby Elephant Euthanized At Pittsburgh Zoo

A baby elephant that was born at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium died last month despite the efforts of caretakers who tried to save it after the calf was rejected by her mother. The calf was born prematurely in June and could not nurse. This led to the decision by her handlers to euthanize her after she was unable to regain health. Usually a female African elephant stays in her mother’s womb for an average of 645 days. In this case however, the female calf was born after 615 days and weighed just 184 pounds which is 50 pounds less than average. At the time of her birth, the mother did not have any milk which led to the rejection of the calf.

Zoo keepers heartbroken

Dr Barbara Baker who is president of the zoo and its CEO said the death has been devastating and that the calf’s caregiver’s hearts were broken. Dr Baker added that in just a short period of time, the calf touched so many people and the zoo did everything it could to care for her but unfortunately it just wasn’t enough in the end. Initially the calf stopped eating because she had started to teeth, so her handlers tried to keep her alive by inserting a feeding tube. The calf who was never named responded well to the treatment to begin with but failed to gain a significant amount of weight.

The calf could not gain weight

The zoo consulted with international experts to see how the calf could be helped. At first the officials were assured it was normal for elephant calves to lose weight after birth because calves who are teething generally lose their appetite resulting in weight loss. The zoo was also warned that if the calf is unable to recover from the weight loss, they will usually die.  According to the zoo when the calf failed to gain weight, zoo veterinarians began to suspect a genetic abnormality such as malabsorption syndrome which was preventing the calf from absorbing nutrients. The vet team will be conducting a full necropsy which it is hoped will offer some insight into the problem Dr Baker said.

Expecting a public backlash

The zoo said it expects to face public backlash following its decision to euthanise the calf. However, Dr Baker said that the zoo fully stands behind the informed and calculated decisions made by a team of experts who cared for the calf. The zoo’s keeper and veterinary staff demonstrate extreme dedication to the welfare of all the animals at the zoo every single day and always act in the best interest of every individual animal that calls the zoo home.