Mali, the Philippines’ lone elephant, dies after more than 4 decades

Mali the elephant in Manila Zoo. JOAN BONDOC/INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines — Mali, the country’s lone elephant, confined in a Manila Zoo enclosure for over four decades, died on Tuesday.

In a social media address, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuña said Vishwamali, commonly known as Mali, died at around 3:45 pm.

A necropsy was conducted on Mali’s remains to determine the cause of her death, according to Lacuna.

No further details were provided.

Mali was brought to the Philippines from Sri Lanka in 1977 as a gift to then-First Lady Imelda Marcos.

Wild elephants can live up to 60 to 70 years, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Prior to her passing, there were calls for the elephant’s transfer to a sanctuary overseas, as advocates noted that the isolation and unnatural habitat were detrimental to her well-being.

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