Australia's Oldest Asian Elephant Dies at 58

The oldest elephant in Australia, 58-year-old Siam, died due to sudden kidney failure at the Sunshine Coast Zoo Tuesday morning.

The death of Siam is deeply mourned by the zoo staff and volunteers. She spent the last decade at the Australia zoo in Beerwah. She shared the land with Bimbo and Sabu, the other Asian elephants.

"As the largest of our three Asian elephants, she was affectionate, cheeky and endearing. She will be sorely missed," the zoo said in a memo to staff and volunteers. (The Australian)

Curator Kelsev Engle was quoted in ninemsn stating, "Siam was one of the late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin's favourite aniamal. It was not unexpected because she is quite an older animal. Yet it is pretty hard whenever anyone in your family passes away."

Siam was continuously monitored by the Australia Zoo authorities but they did not find any indications of kidney problems.

Unlike Sabu and Bimbo, Siam always looked for attention and affection from her keepers. She was called the BIG Kid as she was very naughty.

Siam along with the other two Asian elephants Sabu and Bimbo arrived at the Australian Zoo in 2003. Asian elephants are an endangered species. They were listed by the IUCN in 1986. Their population faces a huge threat by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.