Chester Zoo mourns sudden loss of beloved Asian elephant Sundara Hi Way

Chester Zoo is mourning the sudden and unexpected loss of one of its adult female Asian elephants, Sundara Hi Way.

Sundara fell ill inside the zoo’s Elephants of the Asian Forest habitat on Friday, 19 July.

Despite the immediate response and efforts of the zoo’s animal care and veterinary teams, she deteriorated rapidly and sadly passed away.

An examination revealed that Sundara had suffered from twisted intestines, a condition that can afflict various mammals, including horses, but is particularly difficult to diagnose or treat in elephants.

“We are all so deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic turn of events. Our thoughts are, of course, with our wonderful elephant conservationists who have cared for Sundara since she was born here in 2004,” said Jamie Christon, the zoo’s CEO.

During her time at the zoo, Sundara gave birth to several calves, including female elephants Indali and Riva, who continue to reside at the zoo.

Sundara played a crucial role in the zoo’s conservation breeding program for the endangered Asian elephant species.

Jamie Christon added, “Asian elephants Riva, Indali, Anjan, and Maya remain in good health, and our expert teams will be monitoring them all extra closely in the coming days and weeks as the herd dynamics adjust to this sudden change.”

Asian elephants are listed as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 50,000 remaining in the wild.

The species faces significant threats, including habitat loss, poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and the deadly Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV).

Chester Zoo has a long-standing commitment to elephant conservation, both within the zoo and in the wild.

The zoo’s Assam Haathi Project, in partnership with Ecosystems-India, has been working since 2004 to mitigate human-elephant conflict in northern India.

This project implements innovative methods to protect both elephants and local communities.