COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is mourning the loss of one of their animals.
On Sunday, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo announced that Malaika, a 37-year-old South African elephant had passed away.
According to the zoo, Malaika suffered from mobility issues and chronic illness. On Friday, she fell down and wasn't able to get back up on her own.
Despite efforts from the Colorado Springs Fire Department, Malaika wasn't able to stand, and she was euthanized on Saturday.
Malaika had been at the zoo since 2008. Almost 10 years ago, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo decided to provide housing to care for a group of aging female elephants, who were known as "The Golden Girls." She was one of six elephants in this community.
Although Malaika had been battling health issues for a while, her keepers say she had more good days than bad. They also said that she loved marshmallows, pretzels, and being the center of attention.
The zoo says that a generous donor has offered land in the mountains to be the site of Malaika's final resting place.
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