year-old African elephant and a first-time mother, went into labor in late April after a 22-month gestation period. After
several hours, Ibala's labor stalled and veterinarians determined her calf had died. The calf was to stay inside the
mother until she expelled it, said Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak. This week, veterinarians determined Ibala was
continuing to have contractions in an attempt to expel the calf. On Friday, veterinarians performed an emergency
episiotomy and removed the baby elephant. Hours later, Ibala died, Polak said. A necropsy determined she died from
endotoxic shock, a severe infection of the uterus and abdominal cavity, Polak said.
See incident: April 24, 2005
August 4, 2005: Syracuse Zoo's New Baby Elephant Dies - The elephant born Sunday at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at
Burnet Park died Thursday following a swimming pool accident, according to zoo officials. The 345-pound baby
elephant named Kedar died shortly after 6 p.m., about 12 hours after he slipped past his protective adult family
members and dove head-first into the pool, zoo spokeswoman Sarah Fedele said. Four female elephants in the yard
tried to pull him out, then went in after him but forced him into a deeper section of the pool. Elephant collection
manager John Moakler jumped into the pool and lifted Kedar's trunk out of the water, zoo director Ann Baker said. He
pushed the baby to shallow water so he could get out of the pool. The elephant had water in his lungs, a fever and
breathing difficulty throughout the day. His body was sent to Cornell University for tests.
January 25, 2006: National Zoo Euthanizes Ailing Elephant - Toni, a 40-year-old female Asian elephant at the
National Zoo, was euthanized this morning "following a dramatic decline in her physical condition and quality of life,"
zoo officials announced. Toni was increasingly hobbled by arthritis in her front legs, and continued to lose muscle
mass and weight. In recent days, visitors saw her leaning on her trunk in an effort to support herself. Her condition
declined dramatically over the weekend, zoo officials said, and the decision was made yesterday to euthanize her.
March 9, 2006: Woman Injured After Entering Waco Zoo's Elephant Exhibit - A 25-year-old woman climbed past
barriers and into an elephant's exhibit at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, TX, then crawled out with minor injuries after
the three-ton animal smacked her with its trunk. Zoo director Jim Fleshman says the woman said she wanted to play
with the elephant, so she scaled a three-foot wood-and-wire fence and an eight-foot artificial rock structure. She then
bypassed an electric wire before jumping into the exhibit. After the woman got out, fire and emergency crews took her
to a hospital with minor injuries, including scrapes on her side and arm. Waco Fire officials say the woman, whose
name wasn't released, was visiting the zoo with a child and another woman.
June 10, 2006: Elephant Dies at Los Angeles Zoo - Gita, a 48-year-old female Asian elephant, died Saturday in her
enclosure at the Los Angeles Zoo. At about 5 a.m., zoo workers found Gita sitting on her haunches, which can
endanger an elephant's life by cutting off circulation and releasing fatal toxins into the 8,000-pound animal's
bloodstream. Veterinarians tried to raise the animal onto her feet, but she died at 9:40 a.m.
July 21, 2006: Elephant Keeper Killed, Director Injured at Tennessee Sanctuary - A female handler was killed and a
director was injured Friday by an elephant at The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN. Lewis County Sheriff
Dwayne Kilpatrick said the attack happened sometime between 11:15 and 11:45 a.m. CDT. The attack happened
quickly, killing Joanna Burke, 36, "on the spot" when Winkie, a female Asian elephant, knocked her down and stepped
on her, said Doug Markham, a spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The director of the
sanctuary, Scott Blais, suffered an ankle fracture and numerous bruises when he tried to intervene and was taken to
Maury Regional Hospital in Columbia. At her previous residence at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wis., Winkie hurt
several staffers and visitors, earning a reputation as a "dangerous elephant," according to her biography on the
sanctuary's website.
See incidents: 1977; July 9, 1998; December 22, 1999
July 24, 2006: Toronto Zoo Elephant Euthanized - Patsy, a 40-year-old female African elephant, was put to sleep after
a period of failing health due to long-term degenerative arthritis in her legs. The arthritis was likely caused by an
earlier injury in a scuffle with another elephant, Toronto Zoo CEO Calvin White said in an interview. "She was in
constant pain," he said. "She was still on exhibit as of (Monday) night, but you could tell she was hurting. She walked
very slow, she would lean against the wall and lean her tusks against the post. She was feeling a lot of pressure." After
several exams determined that there was no chance of further treatment or recovery, Patsy was euthanized.