Zoo Announces Passing of Sophie the Elephant

LITTLE ROCK (October 28, 2024) – The Little Rock Zoo is sad to announce that Sophie the elephant has passed. She was placed to rest through humane euthanasia earlier this morning. The Zoo will be closed to guests today to perform a necropsy.

The Zoo announced earlier this year that the 56-year-old elephant was placed into hospice from complications associated with a chronic pyometra disease. Sophie was first diagnosed with pyometra more than seven years ago. Most elephants survive less than a year with this condition. Zoo staff were able to manage the progression of the disease and provide prolonged care for Sophie for what is considered a medical miracle in elephant veterinary medicine. The disease which infects the uterus, is non-operable in elephants and is incurable.

In the early weeks of summer, Zoo staff observed that swelling had developed along Sophie’s belly, likely because of the progression of the disease. Blood protein levels taken from Sophie were lower than normal, also indicating disease progression. Sophie had lost significant muscle mass from muscle wasting created from fighting a chronic illness.

Zoo staff evaluated Sophie daily for quality of life and let her guide the way on next steps. Two full-time veterinarians were on-call every day of the week to attend to Sophie and the disease was managed as best as possible with pain medications and antibiotics.

Sophie and her companion, Babe, came to the Little Rock Zoo in 2013 from the Niabi Zoo to join Zina. All three elephant residents are retired from the circus, are of advanced age and require specialized geriatric care. The Little Rock Zoo has long been recognized for its expertise in caring for geriatric elephants.

Sophie’s estimated age is 55 to 56. At this age she has outlived most of her counterparts living in accredited Zoos. The mean life expectancy for a female Asian elephant is 47 years old. Babe is 49 and Zina turned 64 this year.

Sophie holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Arkansans and will be deeply missed by Zoo staff and by the community as a whole. 

Donations in Sophie’s memory can be made to the Arkansas Zoological Foundation, a collective donation will be made in her honor to Asian Elephant Support, a non-profit dedicated to supporting the care and conservation of Asian Elephants throughout their natural range.

The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things.  With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.  For more information, visit www.aza.org.