World’s saddest elephant, Flavia dies at zoo after an agonizing 43 years of solitary confinement

Flavia nicknamed the World’s saddest elephant has died after living alone in solitary confinement for 43 years. The Asian elephant, believed to be from Indian descent was separated from her herd at age three and since then has never seen another elephant again till her death at 47 in the Cordoba zoo in southern Spain.

Amparo Pernichi, the councillor in charge of environmental issues, told a press conference at Cordoba city hall that Flavia was no longer able to stand up on her own and had eventually to be euthanised. PACMA president Silvia Barquero added, "During all those years she has been alone and captive in the zoo of Cordoba. We hope that no animal will go through this again."

Throughout Flavia’s time alone at Cordoba Zoo, multiple animal rights groups have propagated to have Flavia moved to a zoo, sanctuary or safari park where the animal could finally interact with her own kind again before it was all too late.

Since her death, PACMA called for no more animals to arrive at the zoo and for those already in captivity to not be allowed to reproduce.