Tonka, Zoo Knoxville’s last remaining elephant, euthanized after being at zoo for 43 years

Tonka, the last remaining African elephant at Zoo Knoxville, has died. The 46-year-old elephant was “humanely euthanized” May 8, according to the zoo. Tonka had been at Zoo Knoxville for 43 years and was beloved by guests and zookeepers.

“We are heartbroken and grieving,” Drew Rowan, interim Zoo Knoxville president and CEO, said in a message shared on Facebook May 9.

“Tonka was beloved by our staff and our community and we are grateful for the compassion they have shown us. We were very committed to making sure Tonka left this world with all the dignity and love we could surround him with, and I hope that offers some comfort to everyone he touched,” Rowan continued.

The caregivers who knew and treated Tonka were by his side when he died to ensure it was peaceful and comfortable.

The 15,000-pound elephant was one of the oldest and largest African elephants in North America, according to Zoo Knoxville. He is remembered for his “easy-going nature and intelligence,” and being an “iconic ambassador” for the zoo over the past 43 years.

What happened to Tonka at Zoo Knoxville?

Tonka’s health rapidly declined in the days before he died. His veterinary team from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine had made the decision to transition to hospice care.

The veterinary team had been managing chronic conditions that are common in older elephants for a while, then Tonka suddenly developed acute pain and swelling in his front leg. He was treated with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and pain medication. But once maximum dosages were given and all other treatment options had been performed, hospice care became the best option for the aging and ailing elephant.

“This is certainly not the outcome we had hoped and planned for,” Phil Colclough, director of animal care, conservation and education, said at the time in a Zoo Knoxville Facebook message on May 6.

“However, as difficult as this decision was, it is the most compassionate thing we can do for Tonka. As we are faced with end-of-life decisions, we will consider his wellbeing every step of the way to make sure that we are doing what is best for him.”

The initial plan had been to move Tonka to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. He was being trained to be prepared for the move to the sanctuary in Hohenwald, but his health declined before his barn was completed.

Tonka would have joined Edie and Jana, two other African elephants previously at Zoo Knoxville that were moved to the elephant sanctuary in 2023. Jana was euthanized at the sanctuary in October.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tonka, Zoo Knoxville’s last remaining African elephant euthanized