Elephant Dies Hours After Suddenly Falling Ill At Tucson Zoo

TUCSON, AZ — Punga, an 11-year-old African elephant at Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo, unexpectedly died Tuesday of a condition commonly called a twisted gut, which comes on suddenly and is almost always fatal. The elephant began showing symptoms of the condition that morning.

Double mesenteric root tension occurs more commonly in horses than in elephants, Dr. Alexis Moreno, the zoo’s veterinarian, said in a news release. Little is known about the causes of the condition, which is known to have affected only one other elephant, a spokeswoman at the zoo told Patch.

“The animal care team noticed Punga showing signs of discomfort [Tuesday] morning, and responded immediately,” Moreno said in the release. “They provided exceptional care and did everything right. Unfortunately, with this condition recovery is nearly impossible. Our team is devastated and it makes us feel rather helpless, but there is nothing we could have done differently to change the outcome.”

The other five elephants at the zoo were given a chance to mourn Punga and were given access to his body and the chance to process their grief in their own way. (Sign up for Tucson Patch for real-time news alerts and free morning newsletters. Like us on Facebook. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app.)

“Because elephants have complex social structures and deep family bonds we wanted to ensure they had an opportunity to grieve as we all do,” interim zoo administrator Sue Tygielski said in the release. “Our staff are deeply affected by his loss and we will be providing grief counselors to support them. We deeply appreciate the community’s support during this difficult time.”

On Facebook, many people commented on the beloved elephant’s death, expressing their condolences to both the humans and the other elephants at the zoo.

“So sad to hear this news,” Raina Lee wrote, noting that Reid Park Zoo was a favorite spot to visit as a child and remains so in her adulthood. “I know everything possible was done for Punga. I hope the rest of the herd does okay through their grieving process.”

Cheryl Alexander wrote that “any of us that love and care for animals know that they are in our hearts” and said “our hearts break when we lose any of them.”

“We, even those that did not know your trunk baby, mourn with you,” Alexander wrote.

“So sad for you all,” wrote Allison Babin. “Your elephant team in particular must be stunned and in shock, please pay extra attention to the keepers who move heaven and earth with their blood, sweat and tears for their cherished family members.”

A necropsy conducted on Punga will increase understanding of the condition and why it affects certain animals, the zoo said. It will be several weeks before the full results are known.

Photo by Karen McCorey via Reid Park Zoo