SHAWNEE COUNTY — Zoo staff and many others are mourning the loss of an amazing animal.

Early Monday, the 58-year-old Asian elephant Sunda woke up at the Topeka zoo and was unable to stand, according to zoo’s Facebook page.

Zoo staff moved the other elephants around to give Sunda some extra space and to give staff some space if needed to help but even though she was trying, Sunda was unable to get her legs under her to get up.

Zoo staff made unsuccessful attempts to lift her with airbags. At 9:30 a.m., a team of tactical rescue firefighters from the Topeka Fire Department arrived and worked to put together ropes and pulleys in a manner that allowed us to lift her up.

Once lifted, she was able to get her feet under her and support her own weight. She stood for a few minutes and then started eating hay and moved into another room to get treats from her keepers, almost as if nothing had happened.

Laying down for a nap and not being able to get back up without assistance is something that sometimes happens with older elephants. 

On Wednesday, Sunda was unable to get up again and zoo staff made the difficult decision to euthanize her. 

As zoo staff wrote on social media, “after 52-years in Topeka, she was indeed one of the most magnificent animals any of us have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We were hopeful that we might have had more time with her but her last days were spent eating her favorite treats, enjoying beautiful weather, and surrounded by people and elephants who loved her.”