Houston Zoo - Baby elephant euthanized

Notice the line.... "Bella became a marketing sensation with her
likeness being displayed on billboards." Humm, and I wonder why zoos exist? Gee, not to make money off of these imprisoned souls. Naahhh, that couldn't be it.


Houston Zoo - Baby elephant euthanized


I'm so sorry to send this article to you ...

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory2/3135608

April 15, 2005, 10:39PM
Zoo's baby elephant euthanized
By SALATHEIA BRYANT
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle


Bella, the Houston Zoo's baby elephant, was put to sleep earlier today
after zoo officials learned that screws used to repair her fractured femur
had already dislodged.


She was euthanized at 9:30 a.m. today. Bella would have been 8 months old
Sunday.


Zoo staff members who had a hand in raising Bella came in to say their
tearful farewells. After the calf died her mother, Shanti, and adoptive
mother, Methai, were allowed visual and physical contact.


Grief counselors will come to the zoo at 1 p.m. to work with the staff.


Zoo director Rick Barongi said it was a painful decision. They had flown
an out-of-state surgeon in to perform a rare surgery to repair the injury.


"Bella is gone. It just wasn't going to work," said Barongi. "It was a bad
break. It wasn't an easy break to fix. Everybody agreed that it was asking
too much of this calf.


"The vets and specialist said we can't repair this."


Bella was born Aug. 17 after a 22-month gestation period. At her first
public debut she played in a kiddie pool, pushed a plastic beach ball
around with her trunk and drank her special formula from a liter bottle.


Her birth was celebrated with a public naming contest and she became an
instant hit with zoo goers. Bella became a marketing sensation with her
likeness being displayed on billboards.


Bella somehow stumbled and fell Tuesday morning while walking in the
elephant yard. Surgeons performed a 2 1/2 -hour operation Wednesday and
were pleased with the initial results.


However, an X-ray of the repair injury this morning showed a much
different story.