Flavia the Elephant Held in Solitary Confinement at Zoo for 43 Years Dies

Flavia who was nicknamed as the “saddest elephant in the world” because she lived in solitary confinement for 43 years at a Cordoba zoo in Spain died on March 1, 2019. The elephant was 47 years old.

At three-years-old Flavia was separated for her herd, taken to a Cordoba zoo and lived her life alone. Several animal rights groups held campaigns to move Flavia to another facility where she could be with other elephants.

Pacmathis, an animal rights group was encouraging the zoo to fix Flavia’s enclosure and transfer her to another safari park in Europe.

It is reported that Flavia’s health deteriorated for months, she was depressed and lost weight. On March 1 the elephant collapsed in her enclosure and could not get up. She was euthanized.

Amparo Pernichi, the councilor in charge of environmental issues said at a press conference at Cordoba City Hall that Flavia was an icon. Her death is incredibly sad for those at the zoo. The elephant would be missed by her caretakers Javi and Fran.

The zoo posted a tribute to the elephant on their website. They encouraged people to post their personal photos of Flavia with the hashtag #HastaSiempreFlavia.

Written by Barbara Sobel

Sources:

People: Flavia, the World’s ‘Saddest’ Elephant, Dies at Zoo After 43 Years of Solitary Confinement
Express: ‘Saddest elephant in the world’ dies after 43 YEARS alone in Spanish zoo
Daily Mail: ‘Saddest elephant in the world’ dies after 43 YEARS in solitary confinement at a Spanish zoo

Image Courtesy of Kevin Harbor’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License