Photo:Ezra Acayan/Getty

Mali, an elephant that has been in captivity for 45 years, is seen at a zoo converted into a vaccination site on January 19, 2022 in Manila, Philippines.

Ezra Acayan/Getty

Mali, whose full name was Vishwamali, and her captivity caught the attention of many animal activists, includingPaul McCartney.

Mali, an elephant that has been in captivity for 45 years, is seen at a zoo converted into a vaccination site on January 19, 2022 in Manila, Philippines.

In 2013, while working withPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Paul McCartney raised awareness about Mali’s solitary life. He asked authorities to move the animal to an elephant sanctuary.Writingto Philippine President Benigno Aquino III in 2013,McCartney said, “With the stroke of a pen, you can bring an end to her suffering, and I urge you, with all my heart, to please direct that Mali be given that joy now.” Others involved in the “Free Mali” movement includedPamela AndersonandDr. Jane Goodall.

According toPETA U.K., during her years at the zoo, Mali experienced “intense confinement, loneliness, boredom and isolation.” The organization added that while an elephant sanctuary was prepared to take Mali in, the elephant was kept in captivity in Manila, where she was considered an integral part of the zoo.

On Tuesday, Mali, who was confirmed to have cancer and an aorta blockage after her death, was seen lying on her side and breathing heavily, Dr. Heinrich Patrick Peña-Domingo, the chief veterinarian at the Manila Zoo, said at the news conference,according to BBC News. She was also rubbing her trunk against a wall, signaling that she was in pain. While vets gave her antihistamines and vitamins, Mali died the same day.

People who have just received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine take pictures of Mali, an elephant that has been in captivity for 45 years, at a zoo converted into a vaccination site on January 19, 2022 in Manila, Philippines.

While many fought against the conditions Mali dealt with, others didn’t see the elephant’s captivity as unfavorable. “She might seem alone, but she had us beside her,” Mayor Lacuna said in the Facebook conference video. “She was the face that greeted everyone who visited Manila Zoo. She is a part of our lives.”

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Lacuna said she would ask Sri Lanka to donate another elephant to the Manila Zoo, as they did with Mali. In response, animal rights activists said they would fight to ensure that another elephant doesn’t end up at the zoo alone.

OnX, PETA Asia added, “We’re so sorry, Mali. You deserved better.”

source: people.com