SAN FRANCISCO Maybelle the elephant dies suddenly at zoo

[Kadie]

SAN FRANCISCO
Maybelle the elephant dies suddenly at zoo
Program faces review after 2nd loss in weeks

Patricia Yollin, Chronicle Staff Writer

Maybelle, a 43-year-old African elephant, died suddenly Thursday morning at the San Francisco Zoo -- where the entire pachyderm program will now be re-evaluated.

"Plans for elephants at the zoo are being reassessed," said new zoo director Manuel Mollinedo.

The death of the 10,000-pound Maybelle comes less than seven weeks after the demise of Calle, an ailing Asian elephant whose planned euthanasia was hastened when companion Tinkerbelle attacked her.

Mollinedo said Maybelle was lying down on her chest in her outdoor exhibit, legs splayed, when her keeper showed up at 7 a.m. Since she was not able to get up, a crane was brought in to help her try to stand.

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more... http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/04/23/BAGJM69TSB1.DTL

[Submariner]

1. The Elephant Sanctuary is heaven on earth

is for old, sickly, and abused elephants. This is where my charitable donations go. This site is filled with video archives of abused elephants. I'm constantly flipping between DU and the live video Ele-cam in the afternoon to catch them swimming and playing together in the pond.

http://www.elephants.com/

[Kadie]

2. Thanks for the link.

I will be checking it out.

[SemperEadem]

3. could this be a portend of the GOP in California

since their mascot is the elephant?