Sick elephant that stubbornly defied all life expectancy odds dies at Arkansas zoo
Seven years ago, an elephant at the Arkansas zoo received a deadly diagnosis.
She was expected to live a year but defied all odds, making her a “medical miracle,” the Little Rock Zoo said.
On Oct. 28, the zoo announced Sophie, the 56-year-old Asian elephant, was euthanized.
Sophie was placed on hospice three months ago when her chronic pyometra, an “incurable” disease that affects the uterus, worsened, according to a July 15 news release.
“In the last few weeks Zoo staff observed that a firm mass had developed in Sophie’s belly, likely because of the progression of the disease,” the zoo said in July. “Blood protein levels taken from Sophie are lower than normal, also indicating disease progression. Sophie has also lost significant muscle mass from muscle wasting created from fighting a chronic disease.”
Since then, two veterinarians have been on-call to give her around-the-clock care.
Zoo staff said her condition was managed with pain medication and antibiotics.
Despite her serious condition, Sophie outlived the general life expectancy for elephants, according to the zoo. Most female Asian elephants live 47 years.
Sophie was one of three retired circus elephants at the Little Rock Zoo and had been there since 2013.
The zoo closed Oct. 28 to conduct a necropsy where they can collect research samples and get additional information on her cause of death.
