PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Zoo officials in Portland say they have euthanized a 31-year-old elephant known for his enthusiasm for painting. They decided Rama was in too much pain from an old leg injury.
The Oregonian reported that Rama was euthanized Monday. Zoo officials say physical therapy techniques and anti-inflammatory medications were no longer working and new modifications did not improve his quality of life.
The elephant suffered a leg injury in 1990 when older female elephants pushed the young bull out of the Portland zoo’s herd, a practice naturally seen in the wild. Rama fell into a moat, which has since been filled in.
Rama was a son of the zoo’s patriarch elephant, Packy, who survives him.
Zoo officials say Rama had an unusually sweet temperament and loved to paint, creating artwork that was displayed in a Portland gallery.
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