Pregnant Elephant Dies Suddenly At Zoo Atlanta

POSTED: 12:13 pm EDT October 28, 2008

UPDATED: 12:27 pm EDT October 28, 2008

ATLANTA, Ga. -- A 26-year old African elephant named Dottie has died at Zoo Atlanta. She was in the third trimester of her first pregnancy.

The elephant died Monday night.

“We are saddened by the sudden loss of Dottie. I know our veterinary and animal management team worked diligently to ensure she received the best care and treatment possible. This is especially sad for us because Dottie was pregnant with her first calf,�?said Dennis Kelly, President and CEO. “We will miss her here at Zoo Atlanta.�?

LINK: Zoo Atlanta

Zoo Atlanta officials noticed cloudy urine and decreased protein levels in Dottie's blood on Oct. 10. Eleven days later, she had lost nearly 800 pounds, which equaled about a tenth of her body weight. On Oct. 22, the veterinary team at the Zoo began giving antibiotics to fight off the unknown problem. Five days later, Dottie died.

Zoo Atlanta's veterinary team will perform a necropsy in conjunction with the the Department of Pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia to determine the cause of death.

Dottie was part of the first trio of African elephants that were brought to Zoo Atlanta in November 1986.

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