Goodbye Mali: The tragic tale of world’s ‘saddest’ elephant

An elephant dubbed one of the world’s “saddest” by activists has died at a Philippine zoo. Vishwa Ma’ali, famously known as just Mali, was believed to be in the 48-49 age group. Tributes have poured in for Mali, who was the main attraction of the Manila Zoo in the Philippines. Let’s take a closer look. World’s ‘saddest’ elephant dies Manila mayor Honey Lacuna announced Mali’s death in a Facebook video on Tuesday (28 November), saying visiting the Manila Zoo to see the pachyderm was among her happiest childhood memories, reported BBC. “Mali was our prized possession and was the star attraction here at the Manila Zoo. It saddens me because she was part of our lives,” Lacuna was quoted as saying by Independent. Manila zoo’s chief veterinarian Dr Heinrich Patrick Peña-Domingo said that the elephant, which lived the majority of her life in a concrete pen, was repeatedly rubbing her trunk against a wall last week, indicating she was in pain, as per the BBC report. By early Tuesday, Mali’s condition worsened and she was seen lying on her side, breathing heavily. While veterinarians gave her antihistamines and vitamins, she died later that afternoon. An autopsy revealed that she reportedly had cancer in some of her organs and a blockage in her aorta. “The death of Mali was sudden. Among animals, there’s something that we call asymptomatic symptoms, where she could have been experiencing an illness that we could not observe,” an official from the Manila zoo said, as per Daily Mail. ALSO READ: Why a Thai elephant returned home after spending over two decades in Sri Lanka Tracing Mali’s life Mali was gifted by Sri Lanka in 1977 to then Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos. The elephant, which was found as an orphan in the wild, was around three-years-old when she came to Manila, as per The Straits Times report. She was placed in a pen with an older female elephant, Shiba, who bullied the younger and smaller tusker. Shiba, who had been rescued from a circus, died six years later and since then Mali had been the only elephant at the Manila zoo, the report added. [caption id=“attachment_13446772” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A zoo worker bathes Mali inside an enclosure at Manila zoo in January 2013. Reuters File Photo[/caption] Animal rights activists have criticised the conditions in which Mali was kept at the zoo, alleging that she was not being provided critical medical care, as per BBC. The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) launched a campaign in 2012 to move Mali to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, describing her as “perhaps one of the world’s saddest elephants”. The group alleged Mali had been subjected to live in a “barren, concrete enclosure” for over 40 years. A veterinary expert sent by PETA said that Mali suffered from “potentially fatal cracked nails and foot pads… and overgrown cuticles”, reported The Straits Times. However, the Manila authorities rebuffed the expert’s findings. They argued that it was better for Mali to stay in captivity as she had no experience of life in the wild, noted BBC. Mali’s plight also drew attention of several big names, including The Beatles’ Paul McCartney and actor Pamela Anderson, over the years. In a letter to the then Philippines president Benigno Aquino III in 2012, McCartney called the video of Mali in captivity “heartbreaking”. “I am writing to add my voice to the many others who are supporting the transfer of Mali, the lonely elephant currently being held at the Manila Zoo, to a sanctuary in Thailand as soon as possible,” he wrote at the time, as per The Mirror. Former Smiths frontman Morrissey had also made a similar appeal. ALSO READ: Ya Ya: The giant panda returning to China from the US after 20 years Alone, not sad Animal welfare advocate Isa Garchitorena was not in favour of transferring Mali to Thailand as she said that could trigger stress and anxiety in the elephant, which was now old and never been a part of a pack to know skills acquired by elephants in the wild. She also objected to Mali being dubbed as “one of the world’s saddest elephants”. “Mali may not be housed with other elephants here, but she is not without family. Her family is her keepers, her vets, her beloved volunteers and the millions of Filipino children that have watched her grow into the Mali that she is today,” Garchitorena said, as per The Straits Times.  Tributes for Mali PETA said the world is mourning Mali’s death. In a statement on Tuesday, it also hit out at the zoo authorities in Manila, alleging: “Because of indifference and greed, Mali the elephant died the same way she had lived for nearly 50 years: alone in a concrete pen at the Manila Zoo.” “Despite repeated warnings, zoo and city officials ignored Mali’s clearly painful foot problems, which are the leading cause of death in captive elephants. If foot issues played a role in Mali’s death, every person who denied her veterinary care and blocked her transfer to a sanctuary should be held accountable,” Daily Mail reported citing PETA.

Rest in Peace, Mali the Elephant 💔

The world is mourning the death of Mali who spent decades alone at the Manila Zoo 😔🌹 https://t.co/BJWmCAakJA pic.twitter.com/DCb5UaA9pE

— PETA (@peta) November 29, 2023

On X, Filipinos mourned the fact that Mali died alone and recalled their field trips during school to visit the tusker. “Sad about Mali, the famous elephant here in the Philippines passing away. Hoping no more elephants will be confined to zoos,” a user wrote on the social media platform. Manila mayor Lacuna said she would urge the Sri Lankan government to donate another elephant to the city. She said Mali’s transfer was “never considered” due to her prolonged captivity. “She might seem alone, but she had us beside her. She was the face that greeted everyone who visited Manila Zoo. She is a part of our lives,” Lacuna said, as per The Mirror. With inputs from agencies