Mysuru/Bengaluru: The Mysuru Chamrajendra Zoological Gardens is mourning the death of its oldest female elephant ‘Padmavati,’ who passed away at the age of 71, leaving behind a remarkable legacy in wildlife conservation and public engagement.
Padmavati, who joined the zoo from the forest department’s elephant camp in 1973, became an iconic figure for her gentle demeanour and majestic presence. Over the decades, she shared space with other legendary elephants like ‘Gireesh’ (1979), ‘Komala’ (1996) and ‘Abhimanyu’ (2004).
According to zoo officials, Padmavati played a vital role in educating visitors about elephants and wildlife conservation. She was a major attraction for lakhs of tourists each year and participated in cultural processions and awareness campaigns.
Her health had been declining due to age-related ailments. Despite round-the-clock care from veterinarians, she passed away on Thursday morning. A post-mortem confirmed that she died of natural causes.
Padmavati was also an adopted elephant under the zoo’s popular animal adoption scheme, loved by regular visitors for her calm nature and long-standing service to the zoo’s mission.
Zoo Executive Director D. Mahesh Kumar expressed condolences on behalf of the staff, acknowledging her invaluable contribution to Mysuru Zoo’s heritage.
