Mali, Philippines beloved elephant, dies

MANILA, Philippines — Mali, the Philippines’ only elephant, died at the Manila Zoo yesterday.

Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan announced Mali’s death in a video posted on social media by the city’s public information office.

Pangan said Mali died at around 3:45 p.m. A necropsy will be conducted to identify the cause of Mali’s death.

Mali was sent as a gift by Sri Lanka in 1977 to the city of Manila when she was three years old after she was found orphaned in the wild.

Mali had received a larger enclosure in the zoo, which reopened in 2021 after extensive renovation.

The elephant, full name Vishwa Ma’ali, gained international attention in 2017 when an animal rights group described her as the loneliest elephant in the world.

In 2021, the group called on then mayor Isko Moreno to allow Mali to stay with other elephants at a sanctuary in Thailand.

Moreno had vowed to bring in more elephants to keep Mali company.

Elephants have a potential lifespan of up to 75 to 80 years. Mali is believed to have been 49 years old at the time of her death.