SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A 51-year-old African elephant has died after getting into a confrontation with another elephant at Zoo Miami, Friday.
The Zoo announced that Cita, a 51-year-old female, died shortly after she was knocked down by Peggy, another elephant.
Zoo officials said Cita underwent an extensive necropsy and a variety of tests to determine the cause of death. The results of the test will not be available for several weeks, but officials said preliminary tests show that a blood clot may have been a contributing factor.
Zoo Miami said Cita suffered from several age-related issues, including a loss of body condition, muscle wasting and advanced arthritis. Officials believe these factors may have also contributed to Cita being unable to stand after being knocked down.
Workers gave Cita medication and tried other methods to alleviate pain and stress, bu they were unable to get her back on her feet.
Experts said confrontations between elephants are not uncommon, and Peggy may have been trying to reinforce her dominance at the time.
Cita arrived at Zoo Miami in 2016 with another female elephant named Lisa, joining elephants Peggy and Mabel in the African Elephant exhibit.
The group was called the “Golden Girls” due to them all being over 40 years old. Lisa died in 2017 of a health condition.
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