Hansa, beloved elephant at Woodland Park zoo, dies suddenly
SEATTLE – Hansa, a 6-year-old Asian elephant who delighted visitors to the Woodland Park Zoo, was found dead Friday, about a week after she began displaying colic-like symptoms, the zoo said Friday.
Staff members had been monitoring her closely, noting a decreased in appetite and activity, and had administered fluids and antibiotics. But she apparently died in her sleep overnight at the zoo’s Elephant Barn.
“Our beloved Hansa’s short life was in the best hands of elephant care and management,” Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO Dr. Deborah Jensen said. “We will all miss her. We are a family here and we will provide as much support and comfort possible during this difficult time.”
Hansa was born in 2000 after another of the zoo’s elephants, Chai, was sent to the Dickerson Park Zoo in Missouri, where natural breeding resulted in a pregnancy. Hansa was the first elephant born at the 100-year-old Woodland Park Zoo, which has no male elephants.
The zoo’s remaining herd consists of Chai, 28; Bamboo, a 40-year-old Asian elephant; and Watoto, a 38-year-old African elephant.
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