MANILA Zoo Senior Veterinarian Dr. Heinrich Patrick “Chip” Pena-Domingo yesterday said that Vishwa Ma’ali, known as Mali, the country’s one and only elephant, died due to congestive heart failure.

Pena-Domingo said that necropsy findings or the examination of an animal after death performed on Mali showed that she also suffered pancreatic cancer and had multiple affected organs that restricted blood circulation in her body.

“Yung aorta o yung tubo palabas ng kanyang puso, ito po ay may makapal na taba na nakabara, maaari po na iyon ang cause ng pagkamatay niya, yung congestive heart failure, wherein nahihirapan na po yung puso niya na i-pump yung enough blood sa katawan dahil sa dami po ng organs na affected sa kanya,” Dr. Pena-Domingo said in a press conference held at the Manila Zoo.

He said Mali started to show signs of restlessness on Friday last week and she lost her appetite the following day, prompting them to focus on monitoring her health condition.

“Tuesday morning, umupo siya bandang 5 at humiga po bandang alas-6 ng umaga. Kami po ay nag-alala at naalarma kaya nagbigay na kami ng karampatang lunas. Bandang 11 to 11:30 ng umaga, napansin namin na yung pupils niya medyo dilated tapos bandang 3:45 po, medyo nahirapan na siya at doon na siya nawala, Masakit mang sabihin pero nasa range po ang kanyang life span matanda na po siya,” Pena-Domingo said.

Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan said they are talking to experts on how to preserve Mali by means of taxidermy ang put her at the museum.

“Alam naman ninyo, price possession po namin si Mali, siya po talaga ang star attraction dito sa Manila Zoo. Ngayon po ay sisimulan po naming makipag-usap sa Sri Lankan government, kami po ay susulat sa kanila ot inform them na wala na nga po si Mali and at the same time din, maka-request po kami sa kanila ng replacement po, sorry hindi po magandang pakinggan, yung maaari pong kapalit ni Mali,” Mayor Honey said.

She said Mali was given to the City of Manila in 1981 by the Sri Lankan government contrary to the reports that it was in 1977 when she was transported to Manila.

“It was a different elephant, si Sheeba po yun noong 1977. So dati po me kasama si Mali, itong si Sheeba, she died naman noong 1990, she was 27 years old, so si Mali po ang nag-iisang elephant dito sa Manila Zoo sa Pilipinas siya na po yung pinakamatagal na nabuhay na elephant dito po sa atin, 43 years old po siya,” Mayor Honey clarified.

The mayor also acknowledged the call made by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to return Mali to her natural habitat but she said it may be difficult for her to adapt to the new environment since she has been in the captive stage for a long time. “Kasi dito na po siya lumaki sa atin, so hindi po talaga na-consider yun,” the mayor said.

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Edd Reyes