No hope of growing up healthy Zurich Zoo puts baby elephant to sleep - difficulties getting up
An elephant calf that was only born on Monday had to be euthanized on Tuesday. The young animal was unable to put sufficient weight on its hind legs and was not considered viable, according to the zoo.
03.06.2026, 12:46
03.06.2026, 15:06
SDA
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- Zurich Zoo has euthanized a male baby elephant one day after its birth.
- The calf was born on Monday and was unable to stand up on its own.
- According to the zoo, it was therefore unable to grow up to be viable.
The 40-year-old elephant cow Indi gave birth to a male cub at Zurich Zoo on Monday. The birth of her fifth calf went without complications. However, a problem became apparent shortly after the birth: the young animal was unable to stand up on its own as it could not put any weight on its hind legs. This is according to a statement from Zurich Zoo.
Asian elephants live in so-called matriarchies, i.e. in close family groups led by an experienced lead cow. Indi and her daughter Chandra are also closely bonded and attended the birth together. The calf was born at 12.25 p.m. in the indoor area of the elephant park, but remained lying down afterwards, although it should have stood up as usual.
"The young elephant cow repeatedly made vigorous attempts to stand up, but was unable to put sufficient weight on its hind legs, which is why it remained lying on the ground," explained zoo director Severin Dressen in the press release. Even in the hours following the birth, this condition had not changed.
Vet treated the young animal
In order to examine and care for the calf, the team first separated Chandra from her mother and cub. Indi was also sedated with medication. This allowed the animal keepers and vets to treat the calf, help it to stand up and give it infusions. However, no obvious injuries were found during the examination.
Despite intensive care, the calf remained immobile. It was also unable to stand up overnight, although it was continuously monitored. In the evening, the mother was allowed back to her calf so that she could be with it.
Mother was given the opportunity to say goodbye
After a further assessment, the team finally decided to euthanize the cub "in the interests of the animal's welfare", according to the statement. The prognosis gave no hope of a healthy and viable upbringing. Indi was then given the opportunity to say goodbye to her deceased calf.
Zoo Director Severin Dressen is disappointed: "We would have very much hoped for a happier outcome to Indi's pregnancy - especially after the intensive and tireless efforts of all the zoo staff and vets involved." A healthy young animal would have been important - both for the elephant group and for the European Conservation Breeding Program.
Not the first dead elephant
Non-viable young animals were already born in 2020 and 2023. In 2020, a calf was also presumably trampled to death by other elephants in the group. In September 2025, a young animal died after injuring its leg while playing.
Animal rights activists have repeatedly called on the zoo to stop breeding elephants. The zoo is failing to bring the young animals through, wrote the Fondation Franz Weber in a recent death. The zoo is investing millions in new buildings or the maintenance of enclosures to make captivity more bearable for the animals and more attractive to the public. This is of no benefit to species conservation.
