Heartbreaking images show elephant crying moments before her death

Newly released images from an Indonesian zoo have animal lovers up in arms this week.

The heartbreaking photos show Yani, a Sumatran female elephant, sobbing moments before she passed away on Wednesday, after suffering from "blistering skin" and reportedly receiving minimal treatment.

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The 34-year-old endangered elephant died in a zoo in Bandung, West Java -- a facility that is privately funded despite being on state grounds.

According to Rappler, the Bandung's mayor stopped by the city's zoo after word spread about Yani's poor treatment.

"If they don't have the budget to manage (the zoo), they should seek support," he said.

Sadly, Yani's situation is not atypical. Indonesia has come under fire for their "death zoos" before, after PETA and other animal rights organizations banded together to spotlight the horrific living conditions that the animals are forced to endure.

"It is a virtual hell on Earth for animals—a former member of the zoo's management estimates that 50 animals have died at the zoo in just the last three months," PETA stated about another zoo in Surabaya.

The video below offers a disturbing glimpse into the conditions they endure. "Rozek, a 13-year-old Sumatran tiger, starved to death after his digestive tract rotted away from being fed meat laced with formaldehyde," PETA explained.

Yani's situation is reportedly being investigated by several doctors, who will announce the cause of death in a public statement on Thursday.

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