INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Zoo is grieving the loss of one of its animals.
On Thursday, the zoo announced that its 52-year-old African elephant, Sophi, had died.
"Our Zoo family is grieving today as we say goodbye to a much-loved friend," the zoo wrote in a tweet. "She lived a long, wonderful life here. She was a majestic elephant who was loved by our herd, staff, volunteers and generations of Hoosiers."
The zoo went on to say that the elephant's care team monitored her closely over the last few days as her health declined. The staff had to make "the difficult decision to euthanize her."
Sophi was born in 1968 and came to the Indianapolis Zoo from a safari park in Canada in 1989. She was the biggest and one of the oldest animals at the zoo and was considered the matriarch of the elephant herd.
"We are already missing her loud trumpet and majestic presence," another tweet said.
