Shanthi (1975 – June 26, 2020) was an
Asian elephant
The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living ''Elephas'' species. It is the largest living land animal in Asia and the second largest living Elephantidae, elephantid in the world. It is char ...
gifted to the
US by
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
in 1976. She is considered to be the most studied Asian elephant ever.
Life
Early years
Shanthi was born in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
around 1975 and lived at the
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage until 1976.
Gift to the US
In 1976, Shanthi was flown from
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
to the
US. The orphaned
calf was a state gift from
William Gopallawa
William Gopallawa (, ; 17 September 1896 – 31 January 1981) was a Sri Lankan politician and statesman who served as the last Governor-General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 and the first and only non-executive President of Sri Lanka from 1972 to ...
and the children of Sri Lanka to the children of the United States. At an April 2 1977 ceremony at the
National Zoo in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, she was symbolically handed over by Punitha Gunaratne, the daughter of a Sri Lankan Embassy official, to
Amy Carter
Amy Lynn Carter (born October 19, 1967) is the only daughter and fourth child of the 39th U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. Carter first entered the public spotlight as a child when she lived in the White House during h ...
, the daughter of President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
.
Shanthi was the mother of Kumari, a female who was born in 1993 but died in 1995 of
elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHV) are herpesviruses that infect elephants. They can cause a highly fatal hemorrhagic disease when transmitted to young Asian elephants. In African elephants, related forms of these viruses, which have ...
. She also gave birth in 2001 to Kandula, a male who is currently a resident of the
Oklahoma City Zoo.
Death
Shanthi was
euthanized
Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...
on June 26, 2020 at the
National Zoo in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, after decades of increasingly debilitating
osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of articular cartilage, joint cartilage and underlying bone. A form of arthritis, it is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the world, affect ...
.
“After decades of managing and treating Shanthi’s osteoarthritis, animal care staff recently noted that her physical condition had irreversibly declined,” the
Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute said in a statement. “They elected to humanely euthanize her June 26. Shanthi was estimated to be around 45 years old.”
The Zoo also reported in a press release that keepers and care staff had used several innovative treatments over the years to help mitigate the impacts of Shanthi’s
degenerative condition. She was the first of her kind to receive therapies including injections of a
protein serum to slow disease progression.
See also
*
List of individual elephants
The following is a list of culturally or scientifically notable elephants.
Actors
* Chirakkal Kalidasan, one of the tallest elephants in Kerala, also notable for acting in some films, including the 2017 epic film, ''Baahubali 2: The Conc ...
*
Jayathu
*
Smithsonian National Zoo
References
{{National Zoological Park (United States)
Individual elephants in the United States
1975 animal births
2020 animal deaths
Animals as diplomatic gifts
Sri Lanka–United States relations
Individual elephants in Sri Lanka
Individual Asian elephants