Bad news to all Filipinos. Mali, the only elephant in the Philippines, has died.
The announcement was made by Atty. Princess Abante, spokesperson of Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna, as she also announced that a press conference will be held on November 29 regarding the matter.
As soon as she learned, Lacuna rushed to the Manila Zoo and went live at around 6:30 p.m.
“Sa atin pong mga kapwa Manilenyo at mga kababayang Pilipino, ikinalulungkot ko pong ibalita sa inyo ang pagpanaw po ng ating mahal na si Vishwamali, na mas kilala nating bilang si Mali,” the mayor said.
According to her, Mali died at 3:45 p.m. inside the zoo on November 28 and the cause of death is still being determined via a necropsy. She is estimated to be around 50 years old.
Lacuna was with zoo’s officer-in-charge, doctors and even Mali’s caretakers when she made the formal announcement .
Mali, a female elephant, was born in Sri Lanka in 1974 and in 1977, was donated to then First Lady Imelda Marcos who then turned her over to the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden.
Since then, Mali had been the major attraction in the said zoo.
