The Saddest Elephant In The World Has Passed Away

Mali the elephant whose full name is Mali Vishwa passed away at a Manila Zoo, in the Philippines where she was kept. Mali was an orphan and lived in the wild until she was gifted to the Phillipines by the Sri Lankan government.

On her arrival she lived with an older elephant Shiba, but she has been the zoo’s only elephant since 1990. She was dubbed the “world’s saddest elephant” because she lived alone and was isolated leading to many activists calling for her return to the wild where she can be reunited with her kind.Among them was Sir Paul McCartney of the world famous band, The Beatles. He asked authorities to send her to an elephant sanctuary and described her situation as “heartbreaking”. Singer, Morrisey also made a similar plea, but Mali was never returned home.

Zoo authorities responded to criticism arguing that life in captivity was better for her because she didn’t know a life outside of the zoo and may not be able to adapt to life in the wild. Mali’s death was announced on Facebook by Manila’s mayor, Honey Lacuna, who said visiting Mali at the zoo was one of her happiest memories as a child.

Lacuna also told reporters at a press conference that she intends to ask the Sri Lankan government to send another elephant to the capital. Mali died surrounded by no one that looked like her, but she is mourned by animal activists who wanted her to return to a life that was more fitting for her and Visitors to the zoo where she was kept until her passing.