Gunda, Tulsa Zoo Elephant And Longest Resident, Dies At 67

TULSA, OK — Gunda, a 67-year-old elephant who was the Tulsa Zoo’s longest resident, has died from longtime age-related issues, the zoo said. She died on Monday in her exhibit alongside her caregivers after staff had been offering her hospice care.

"Gunda was an iconic member of the zoo family since 1954," the zoo said.

The elephant, a favorite of workers and visitors alike, arrived in Tulsa in a "fortuitous event." The ship that was transporting her to America broke down in Bermuda and eager kids hopped aboard, causing quite a stir.

"During Gunda’s two week stay in Bermuda, she was dubbed 'the most popular tourist of the year,' by local media," the zoo said.

Her stay inspired the illustrated children’s book "Ghunda’s Bermuda Holiday."

In Tulsa, Gunda appeared on Saturday mornings outside of various downtown stores for several months. Tulsans donated money to keep her.

“We know an untold number of people have been able to connect with her,” said Vice President of Animal Conservation and Science Joe Barkowski. “We are very proud of our current and past animal care and animal health teams for the way they have looked after Gunda these many, many years.”

The decision to humanely put her dow was made when animal care and veterinary staff determined her quality of life was worsening. Gunda had been diagnosed with several geriatric related conditions, the zoo said. Treatment to control and slow degenerative processes — such as joint disease — were implemented and helped the elephant for years. But recently, it was determined that treatment would no longer to be as effective in staving off the ill effects of father time.

“This is never an easy decision, but we owed it to Gunda to make her comfortable” says Director of Animal Health Kay Backues, DVM. “She was attended to by her human caretakers who had taken care of her for many years. All of us who have cared for Gunda were present to make her passing a safe and gentle process.”

After Gunda died, her long time herd mate Sooky spent time with her as staff gave her one last chance to come in contact with Gunda.

"Field research on elephant herd behavior has shown that elephants spend time with their deceased family members and we wanted to allow an opportunity for this important part of their social structure," the zoo said.

The zoo will work with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan for Asian elephants and other partners to weigh their options for increasing the herd.

"The zoo is committed to the species, with Vision funding being dedicated toward increasing our elephant facilities for the future," the zoo said.

Fans of the elephant can share their memories of Gunda using the hashtag #ElebrationOfLife on the zoo’s Facebook page and other social media platforms. Pictures can be sent to pr@tulsazoo.org.

Lead photo credit: Detail of an elephant at the Mashatu game reserve on July 26, 2010 in Mapungubwe, Botswana. Mashatu is a 46,000 hectare reserve located in Eastern Botswana where the Shashe river and Limpopo river meet. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)