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The Oregon Zoo has euthanized Tusko, one of its iconic bull elephants.
The zoo announced Tusko's death shortly after noon today, saying it euthanized Tusko after veterinarians "determined they could no longer help pain and mobility issues stemming from a decades-old leg injury."
Tusko was 45. He is the father of two elephants currently living at the Oregon Zoo: Samudra and Lily.
His death comes only a week after the Oregon Zoo officially opened Elephant Lands, the $57 million pachyderm exhibit funded by a 2008 tax bond.
In June 2014, Tusko was diagnosed with tuberculosis—a common ailment for elephants living in captivity—and placed in quarantine. He was deemed healthy enough to rejoin the herd a year later.
Willamette Week
