Indu, the last Phoenix Zoo elephant, euthanized due to multiple health issues

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Zoo euthanized its last elephant on Thursday.

Indu, who spent most of her life in captivity, was 59.

“Her gentle spirit, intelligence and resilience inspired not only our staff but also the millions of guests who visited her over the years,” Bert Castro, president and CEO of the Phoenix Zoo, said in a press release. “Her legacy will live on through the stories we share, the connections she helped people form with wildlife and our continued commitment to the highest standards of animal care.”

The zoo posted a webpage memorializing Indu, with thoughts from her keepers along with photos and videos.

Why did Phoenix Zoo euthanize its only elephant?

Indu, who lived in captivity since she was 1 and arrived at the Phoenix Zoo in 1998, had been the Papago Park attraction’s only elephant since November 2021 after two longtime companions died in a span of less than two years.

She was being treated for chronic osteoarthritis and age-related illness with daily medication, hydrotherapy, laser therapy and physical therapy.

The Asian elephant’s condition worsened to the point where zoo veterinarians and staff made the decision to humanely euthanize her.

The average life expectancy for an elephant at a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is 48.

“There is much uncertainty in the world today, but one thing is certain: The elephant Indu lived and thrived under the compassionate care of dedicated and expert professional staff at the Phoenix Zoo,” Dan Ashe, AZA president and CEO, said in the release.

Animal rights group wanted Phoenix Zoo elephant to be moved

Not everybody shares Ashe’s sentiment. Animal rights group In Defense of Animals (IDA) was critical of the way Indu was living near the end of her life.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the death of Indu — but even more alarmed by the zoo’s silence and contradictory statements about her health,” Brittany Michelson, IDA campaign specialist for captive animals, said in a statement Thursday. “Indu deserved a chance to experience the freedom of a sanctuary, not death behind closed doors.”

Citing Indu’s solitary conditions, IDA placed the Phoenix Zoo at No. 10 on its 2024 list of the worst zoos for elephants in North America.

Last month, the group held a demonstration at the Papago Park venue, urging officials at the nation’s largest privately owned nonprofit zoo to move Indu to an elephant sanctuary to live out the rest of her days.

Zoo officials staunchly denied allegations that she was mistreated, but they confirmed earlier this year they had no plans to house other elephants.

Dr. Gary West, the zoo’s senior vice president of animal health and living collections, told Phoenix radio station KJZZ in January that Indu’s exhibition space would be used for one-horned rhinoceroses after her death.

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