SAN DIEGO — San Diego Zoo officials announced via social media Monday that one of its beloved elephants passed away over the weekend. According to the zoo, Tembo was “compassionately” euthanized on Sunday after staff evaluated her “quality of life options.”
The female African bush elephant was 48 years old and had been at the zoo since 1983. Prior to her life at the San Diego Zoo, Tembo had private owners and was an animal actor. She appeared in the 1974 TV series “Born Free,” according to the Associated Press.
The San Diego Zoo reported that Tembo had been under veterinary care and had undergone stem cell therapy to alleviate “age-related ailments.” They said on Saturday, animal care staff noticed a change in Tembo’s condition indicating she was in discomfort. This change prompted staff to evaluate her and eventually make the decision to euthanize her.
A tweet from the zoo asked that anyone with memories of Tembo share them with the staff, volunteers, members and guests who will miss the well-known elephant.
News 8 knows Tembo will be missed. We are happy we found some footage in our archive featuring the precious pachyderm to share with those that loved her: