Clara

Saint Louis Zoo Saddened by Loss of Asian Elephant Clara

A long life, an animal beloved by Zoo team and community

The Saint Louis Zoo has said goodbye to a beloved friend. Clara, the Asian elephant, was long a favorite of zookeepers and visitors alike. She was humanely euthanized on March 14, 2007. At 54 years of age, Clara lived a long and full life by Asian elephant standards. The average life expectancy for this species, in the wild and in zoos, is about 44 years.

Not surprisingly, Clara began to show some signs of her old age in recent years. Age-related arthritis and other changes may have slowed her down, but her caretakers recall her as a vital member of the Zoo's elephant herd and made it their mission to make her golden years at the Zoo comfortable and enriching.

"We will miss her greatly," said Martha Fischer, curator of ungulates and elephants. "Those who cared for Clara every day are understandably grieving, but we're comforted by the knowledge that she had a long and fulfilled life, serving as our herd's matriarch for so many years. She was truly a grand old lady."

 Fischer describes Clara as confident and strong-willed. "She definitely had a calming influence on the others in the herd. She was a leader. She settled differences. She taught the youngsters good manners."

Clara came to the Saint Louis Zoo in 1955 from Thailand, a gift from St. Louisan August A. Busch Jr. She arrived in St. Louis when elephants weren't on the endangered species list. In fact, the endangered species list didn't even exist. Today there are only about 35,000 Asian elephants left in the wild.

For years, Clara was a part of the Zoo's tradition of animal shows. As the decline of elephants in the wild became more evident, the Zoo's commitment to their conservation became a priority. In 1992 as the elephant show was discontinued, the first ever elephant birth at the Saint Louis Zoo occurred. Under her watchful eye and, as the leader of the herd, Clara was the first to meet and greet the newborn calf, Raja, and helped the rest of the elephants feel comfortable around the calf.

Clara helped lead her herd in the transition to their new home in the River's Edge in 1999. Most recently, she saw Raja become a father, and her long-time friend, Pearl, become a grandmother when Maliha was born in August 2, 2006, and Jade was born on February 25, 2007.

"A long rich life, like Clara's, has touched so many people in so many ways - keepers, Zoo volunteers and visitors alike," adds Fischer. "I'm sure each and every one of us has cherished memories of Clara and feels privileged to have known her. Special animals like Clara are the reason we remain committed to our conservation programs here and in the wild."

The Zoo joins with other AZA-accredited to cooperate in an Elephant Species Survival Plan to maintain a sustainable genetically diverse population, as well as provide a vital link between zoo animals and the conservation of their wild cousins. The Saint Louis Zoo partners with the International Elephant Foundation and supports elephant conservation efforts in Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Kenya.