Updated story: Tonka, the last elephant at Zoo Knoxville, has been euthanized after being placed on hospice care because of declining health and an injury to his left front leg.
Officials with Zoo Knoxville say that the injury worsened, causing pain and discomfort, leading to the decision to humanely put Tonka down yesterday afternoon (Wednesday).
Tonka was 46 years old and weighed 15,000 pounds, making him one of the largest and the oldest African elephants in North America. The zoo had been planning on sending him to a sanctuary in Middle Tennessee.
Original Story: Bad news from Zoo Knoxville, 46 year-old Tonka the elephant is being placed under Hospice care.
The zoos veterinary team has recently been managing some chronic conditions that are common in older elephants and last week they noticed some pain and swelling in his front leg and after giving him medicine and other treatments they determined it was best to put him into Hospice care and make him as comfortable as possible.
Tonka is the largest African bull elephant in the U.S. Tonka was originally supposed to go to the elephant sanctuary in Holenwald in Middle Tennessee to join the other two Zoo Knoxville elephants but he can’t make the trip there anymore. He’ll be in the zoo’s barn for now away from the public.
