Maxi, as the pachyderm was called, was euthanised on Monday after losing a lot of weight in recent months. According to the zoo, his molars were worn out to the extent that he was unable to get sufficient nutrition from the food he was given. He was having difficulty getting up despite being given special supplements and painkillers.
Born in 1969 in Thailand, Maxi was sent to England two years later, where he was displayed in various zoos and a circus. He came to Zurich Zoo in 1981 and remained there ever since. His unique feature were his massive curved tusks that would have reached a length of three metres if he hadn’t broken off bits periodically. At his peak the bull elephant weighed 5.6 tons.
External Content
Maxi is survived by 12 direct descendants, 21 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His body is being examined by the Institute of Veterinary Pathology at the University of Zurich, which is investigating age-related changes. The tusks will be returned to the zoo and shall be used for educational purposes.
More
More
Swiss architects go wild over zoo design
This content was published on
Markus Schietsch clearly remembers his first encounter with a wild bull elephant. He was in the back of an open pickup truck when the elephant repeatedly mock charged the vehicle in the Kaeng Krachan national park in Thailand. The adrenalin-packed experience was courtesy of a study trip organised by the Zurich zoo, as the Zurich…
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Ecological status of Swiss streams insufficient according to study
This content was published on
Pesticide use and obstructions of waterways have a particularly negative impact on sensitive organisms, completely absent in 70% of streams analysed.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Ground-breaking gorilla dies in Basel Zoo aged 58
This content was published on
Goma, a 'happy and caring grandmother', has died. She was the first gorilla born in a European zoo, becoming a media celebrity.
This content was published on
Basel and Zurich zoos recently launched major new development projects. Although they claim to be more animal-friendly ...
This content was published on
All three names have a connection with Sri Lanka, home of one of the calf’s grandmothers. Ruwani means “like a precious stone, highly valuable”. In a separate poll, almost two-thirds of swissinfo.ch readers went for Rishu. What do you think? Let us know.
This content was published on
Switzerland’s leading circus, Knie, says it will stop using elephants in its shows, breaking with a long-standing tradition.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.