A heartbreaking farewell… Pittsburgh Zoo was forced to make the most painful decision — saying goodbye to a premature baby elephant who never got the love she deserved from her mother. Her fight was short, but her memory lives on. 🐘💫
‘Our hearts are broken, it’s just devastating, said Dr. Barbara Baker, President & CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. ‘She touched so many people in such a short time. We did everything we possibly could to care for her, but unfortunately in the end, it just wasn’t enough.’
A baby elephant at the Pittsburgh Zoo passed away Wednesday morning after refusing to eat
The baby elephant had round-the-clock care by zoo employees after she was rejected by her mother
The zoo consulted elephant experts from all over the world in the fight to keep the baby alive.
‘When we spoke with them, they assured us that it was a normal occurrence for calves who are teething to not have an appetite and to lose weight,’ said Dr. Baker. ‘But they also warned us that sometimes the little calves can’t recover from the weight loss and they pass away as a result.’
The zoo talked to elephant experts all over the world in efforts to keep the baby alive
The baby’s mother was rescued by the zoo from Botswana in 2011
The calf’s mother is a 21-year-old elephant named Senni rescued from Botswana in 2011