Shanthi, a 45-Year Old Asian Elephant, Dies at the Smithsonian National Zoo

The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute announced the demise of a 45-year old Asian Elephant named Shanthi last Saturday. The community is mourning the loss of the world's most studied elephant. They fondly remember Shanti as social and confident, yet friendly and respectful with her caretakers. She was under the care of the zoo for 44 years, nearly her entire life. 

Shanthi was well-loved by generations of staff and visitors, according to Monfort. Here is Smithsonian National Zoos' Tribute Video for her: 

"Her contributions to research and medicine have made an indelible mark on our efforts to save her wild counterparts from extinction, as well as improve the lives of her fellow animal ambassadors," Steven Monfort, the Zoo's Director said.

She was from Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka before become coming to National Zoo in 1976. She was a gift to the United States of Americal by the children of Sri Lanka.

More importantly, Shanti had greatly contributed to studying the biology, reproduction, disease, and ecology of the critically endangered Asian Elephants. These studies were used in conservation management worldwide.

Bryan Amaral, the senior curator at the Zoo said that Shanti was probably one of the most studied elephants in the world, and has helped the zoo with several research projects. 

She is known as the first elephant to be artificially inseminated using the daily hormone monitoring technique. The results of the research were such a success that the procedure is used in conservation management efforts all over the globe. Her son Kandula was born through this method in 2001 and is now a resident of Oklahoma City Zoo.

According to the Zoo, even her innovative treatments to manage the degenerative condition was itself a contribution to science. She was the first elephant to receive innovative therapeutic management like protein serum injections to delay the progression of her disease.

She was also given intra-muscular medication to help reduce bony remodeling. She was also given non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, analgesics, and joint supplements to ease her pain and comfort. 

Despite years of intervention, zookeepers and veterinarians noted that Shanthi has become increasingly uncomfortable and in pain in the past weeks. She had limited interactions with her herd mates Bozie and Swarna, and animal care staff believes it is because Shanti did not have the energy to move and interact like the rest of the herd. She was having difficulty relieving the pressure from her joints that animal caretakers provided her sand piles, tractor tires, and large logs to lean against for support. Her quality of life was slowly slipping away. To ease her suffering, the animal care staff had to make a difficult decision of humanely euthanizing her. 

She died in the Elephant Barn. No elephant was present during the procedure but they were given space and time to spend with their deceased herd mate. Scientists believe that elephants go through the grieving process by exploring the body of the deceased elephant and make vocalizations as they inspect the body. Shanthi's herd mates Bosie and Maharani for example walked around Shanti for an hour. Maharani inspected Shanthi's trunk. Spike and Swarna also explored Shanti's body with their trunk as a way of paying their last respects to their friend.