'World's saddest elephant' dies in Manila Zoo

MANILA – Mali, the elephant that had lived alone in a zoo in Manila in the Philippines for more than 40 years, and which animal rights activists had described as “one of the world’s saddest elephants”, died on Nov 28.

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said in a video message on Facebook that Vishwa Ma’ali – the elephant’s full name – died at 3.45pm.

There is no record of exactly how old she was, but she was believed to be 48 to 49 years old.

Dr Lacuna said the zoo had yet to ascertain the cause of her death.

Mali had been the Manila Zoo’s star attraction. Nearly all Filipinos who had been on field trips when they were in primary school most likely saw her and were awed by her.

Mali was sent as a gift by Sri Lanka in 1977 to then Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos.

Found orphaned in the wild, she was about three years old when she arrived in Manila. Mali was put in a pen with an older female elephant, Shiba, who had been rescued from a circus.