LA Zoo mourns loss of 53-year-old Asian elephant Shaunzi

Shaunzi, a 53-year-old Asian elephant that was born in Thailand but spent the better part of the last decade at the Los Angeles Zoo, has died. 

Zoo officials say that Shaunzi died on Wednesday after veterinarians decided to sedate and euthanize her after she was found down in her exhibit at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. 

They say that Shaunzi and the park's other female elephant, Tina, were in their habitat, the Thai Yard section of Elephants of Asia, when overnight staff saw that she was down and unable to get up. 

"Animal care staff and Zoo veterinarians responded quickly and worked through the night to help Shaunzi up," said a statement from the LA Zoo. "Despite the use of all resources and personnel available, the extraordinary efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. The incident resulted in the heartbreaking decision to sedate and euthanize Shaunzi in the early morning hours of Jan. 3."

After she was born in Thailand, where she spent much of her early life in a circus, Shaunzi arrived in the United States, where she would live at the Fresno Chafee Zoo. She spent more than 30 years there before she arrived at the LA Zoo in 2017, where she lived with fellow elephants Tina, Jewel and Billy. 

The LA Zoo statement remembers Shaunzi as "an ambassador for her species" that "helped Angelenos learn about her wild counterparts and the challenges they face in their native range."

Asian elephants are classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are an estimated 40,000 living in the wild. 

"The Los Angeles Zoo staff is devastated by this loss," the statement said. "The care and wellbeing of the elephants and all of the animals at the Zoo is always a top priority. The responsibility of keeping animals is a privilege and the Zoo is committed to providing the highest standard of care to ensure the animals' health and their ability to thrive."

"She will be dearly missed by the Los Angeles Zoo staff, members and the millions of visitors who come to the Zoo each year. Res in peace, Shaunzi."