Kaohsiung zoo's African elephant Ali passes away at age 52

Kaohsiung, Feb. 15 (CNA) The southern city of Kaohsiung's Shou Shan Zoo (壽山動物園) announced Sunday that it is mourning the death of one of its longest-tenured residents, African elephant Ali, after the animal was found dead Saturday. She was 52.

Though she was relatively old, the zoo said the female elephant had not shown any abnormal conditions before her sudden passing.

The zoo said it will ask the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of Ali's death, according to a press release.

Ali joined the zoo after being transported from the United States when she was only five years old in 1978, the year the zoo was founded.

Since then, Ali has been the zoo's most iconic animal and an indispensable part of the memories of Kaohsiung residents for nearly five decades. She accompanied the zoo when it relocated to its current location in Gushan District in 1986.

She was widely loved by zoo visitors for her "clever and somewhat naughty personality." Very often, she tested zookeepers to see whether they had the patience to take good care of her, the zoo's press release said.

Two of Ali's zookeepers were quoted in the press statement as remembering her as "wise, gentle, and delicate-hearted."

In a Facebook post, the zoo bid farewell to Ali: "Dear Ali, thank you for accompanying Shou Shan Zoo throughout your life. Your mission is complete. Now go for a happy walk in heaven."

Elephants are among the longest-living land mammals, with a life expectancy of around 60 to 70 years in the wild.

Their lifespan in captivity is significantly shorter, often cited as around 40 years, according to Elephant Aid International (EAI), a U.S.-based NGO that promotes better care and management of elephants in captivity.