MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County Zoo humanely euthanized 45-year-old African savanna elephant Brittany on April 10 because of her declining health.
Brittany was considered a geriatric elephant, as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums reports the average life expectancy for a female African savanna elephant in human care is 39.4 years old.
The zoo’s other African savanna elephant Belle was provided the opportunity to enter the stall with Brittany, giving her a chance to see and smell Brittany to help process her death.
Brittany arrived at the Milwaukee County Zoo in June of 2001 from Greenville Zoo in South Carolina. The elephant care team says she was often the first elephant that zookeepers worked with, because she was incredibly tolerant of new people learning her cues and behaviors.
A necropsy, performed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, is scheduled to be completed this weekend.
The Elephant Care Center will be closed to the public throughout the weekend.
The news comes seven months after the Zoo’s other African savanna elephant Ruth passed away.
