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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Thank you to everybody that participated in the 2025 #Vigil4Elephants. From our Founding groups, to our co-hosts, to all of our supporters that like, commented and shared the daily elephant biographies, we wholeheartedly thank you. The more interaction our posts get from all of you, the more the

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

This year’s #Vigil4Elephants is dedicated to the bull elephants that suffer in captivity. Here are some of this year’s Vigil Team speaking about the captive elephant deaths in 2025. We thank all of you who have

youtu.be

Vigil4Elephant Year End Video 2025

YouTube video by Vigil4Elephants

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

🐘🐘Kammoon is the final elephant for 2025. Please watch our page for the Vigil4Elephant team’s video wrapping up our 2025 Vigil at noon MST. 🐘🐘 Words from Somboon Legacy Foundation: “Today, we share the saddest news. We had to say goodbye to our beloved grandma Kammoon at the age of around 85.

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

“NC Zoo mourns death of C'sar, its first and oldest bull elephant” The above statement is what zoos say when they lose an elephant. “C'sar was also the oldest African bull elephant in the United States.” If C’sar had been living in the wild, he most likely would have sired several babies over his

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Every year, the wonderful poet, Julie A. Dickson writes a heartfelt poem to fit our #Vigil4Elephant topic. This year, we are focsusing on the cruelty of the captive bull elephant. Here is the poem she wrote this year. Thank you, as always, Julie!

youtu.be

A poem for #Vigil4Elephants

YouTube video by Vigil4Elephants

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Deeply heartbreaking news from 12/16/2025 from Global Sanctuary for Elephants: “Sorrowfully, we want to share with you that Kenya passed away this morning. We know you’ve been carefully walking alongside her as she dealt with physical challenges recently, and all of your energy was present and

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Pai Lin was born wild and later forced into a life of captivity and work for human profit. For decades, she was used in elephant tourism, carrying heavy loads of tourists on her back. The constant strain caused permanent damage to her spine, leaving it visibly deformed. She was also used for street

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

If you would like the #Vigil4Elephants Biography Booklet of all the captive elephants that we featured for 2025 emailed to you, please contact Marilyn at our email, vigil4elephants@gmail.com and ask her to send you a copy. Si desea recibir por correo electrónico

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Thank you to all of you that have sent in your At Home Vigil Photos. Here is the 2025 version, and as always, they are beautiful and touching. Please share. A special thanks to our co-hosts

youtu.be

At Home Vigil Photos 2025

YouTube video by Vigil4Elephants

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

After being snatched from the wilds of Africa at just two years old, Tembo lived for 47 years in the Cameron Park Zoo. The zoo called it a rescue, but many elephants have been taken from the wild, stolen to populate zoos, so it is hard to say exactly how Tembo came to a zoo so far from her home and

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Jums, the dominant male of the African elephant herd at Cabárceno Nature Park , died on December 3 as a result of injuries sustained in a fight with another member of the group, his son Jumar, in what appeared to be a dispute between the two males to achieve dominance. Jums was born in the wild in

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Now that we are done with 2025, here is the final graphic of all the captive elephants that passed away in 2025. We had 46 zoo/circus/tourist attraction deaths and 14 sanctuary deaths, for a total of 60 elephants. That is thankfully down from 2024. The #Vigil4Elephants started in 2018. That year

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Niko, a 28-year-old African bull at Zoo d’Amnéville in Moselle, France, died suddenly on December 1st. Niko arrived at Amnéville Zoo at the age of 4, in 2001. He was captive born at Ramat Gan Zoo (Israel) on June 3, 1997. In Moselle, he "touched hundreds of thousands of visitors" over 24 years. On

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Ben, a male African savanna elephant was born in South Africa in 1989. In 1990, he was sent to Sendai's Yagiyama Zoological Park in Japan from Kruger National Park in South Africa while still a very young calf. In 2002 Ben accidentally broke both of his tusks. While still looking handsome, photos

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Heartbreaking report from The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee . “Minnie was born in Asia in 1966. She was taken from the wild and exported to North America the same year. She spent the next 17 years as the sole elephant at a private wild animal farm in Alberta, Canada, where she was called Talli.

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

From Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, Thailand: “It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Sroy Fah, who left us peacefully last night at the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary Hospital. The last two weeks have been an emotional journey. After showing initial signs of recovery, her condition suddenly

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

On October 21, 2025, Lois, a 47 year old female African elephant, was euthanized at the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium. She began to show signs of degenerative joints and ruptured a ligament in one of her hind legs 15 years ago. Lois recently began experiencing issues with mobility and did not respond

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Poor Pure. There is literally nothing known about her life and little of her death. She at least lived some of her life in the Khao Sok Elephant Sanctuary … but where was she before that? A logging or riding camp? Orphaned from a cull or from the murder of her mother and family by a hunter?

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

On October 14 Kinga, a 38-year-old female African elephant, was euthanized at the Poznań Zoo in Poland. She had fallen over earlier that morning while sleeping. Her leg had suddenly buckled. It took an hour for someone to notice that the elephant couldn't stand on her own. Another hour and a half

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Dumbo, a male Asian elephant born October 24, 2023, tragically died on October 14, 2025, just short of his second birthday. The cause of death was Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV). This virus, common in captive-held elephants, causes hemorrhagic disease leading to a painful death and is

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Plai Boonsaen, a male Asian elephant, died on October 8, 2025, at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. He was born in 1964 in an unspecified area of Asia. He was among the last elephants to work in Lom Sak's logging industry in Phetchabun Province. When teak logging was banned, Plai Boosaen was

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

The Topeka media referred to the late Cora, an Asian elephant who lived at the Topeka Zoo, as “elderly.” For many of us, 67 years of age for an elephant could still mean a quality of life remaining by living in the wild. However, we know the harsh environment in a zoo for elephants. In 1980, Cora

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

We never post a deceased elephant biography on Christmas Day. All of the team here at #Vigil4Elephants wish everyone a peaceful holiday season, and we hope whatever holiday you celebrate you find yourself blessed, and surrounded by kindness. We also hope you can spend the holidays with friends &

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

We are so sad to hear of Malee’s death from Elephant Nature Park : “For nearly three weeks, Malee fought bravely against an illness that would not relent. Our veterinary team did everything within their power to help her. At first, she still ate and drank, but in her final week alarming signs

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

On 30 September, 19-month-old Chin died at Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark, from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), a highly contagious disease that is particularly fatal in captive Asian elephants. In the wild, infant mortality (deaths) among Asian elephants less than five years old is estimated

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

On the webpage of Following Giants based in Thailand, Somkid had endured an unimaginable and extremely difficult life. This poor elephant had worked in the tourism industry for over seven decades, mainly as a riding elephant. When Somkid’s owner died around September 2024, a donor stepped in to

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Ruth, a female African elephant, was captive born on November 2, 1981, at Six Flags Wild Safari (Six Flags Great Adventure), in Jackson Township, New Jersey. At the still dependent age of two, Ruth was ripped from her mother (Tanya) and sent to Lion Country Safari in Texas in December of 1983. At

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Sabemos que su temporada navideña está muy ocupada, pero por favor, tómese unos minutos para tomar una foto y enviarla para la compilación de videos de fin de año "En Casa #Vigil4Elephants". Diga que recuerda a esos elefantes cautivos que perdimos en 2025. ¡Gracias de antemano!

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

We know your holiday season is busy, but please take just a few moments to take a photo and send it in for the year end At Home #Vigil4Elephants video compilation. Say you remember those captive elephants lost to us in 2025. Follow the instructions on the graphic below. Thank you in advance!

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Shankar was born wild in Zimbabwe. He was brought to India in 1998 as a baby (approximately 26 months old), along with a female companion named Vambai. Shankar was gifted by Zimbabwe to former Indian President Shankar Dayal Sharma, hence his name. Shankar lived in companionship with Vambai at the

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Zali's tragic short life is a prime example of the pitfalls that plague captive breeding of elephants. Just five months after his birth, he suffered a serious leg injury. While he was being treated for that, it was discovered he had an intestinal entanglement. Despite intensive care by the vet

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Baby elephant Tari (Kalistha Lestari) was born on August 31, 2023, to a mother named Lisa and a wild male elephant. She was born and raised at the Elephants Flying Squad Camp in Tesso Nilo National Park in the Riau Province of Indonesia. The camp is a training and shelter center for domesticated

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Lucky, a female Asian Elephant, died on August 24, 2025, after a short illness. She was held at the Phnom Tamao Zoo and Wildlife Rescue Center in Cambodia. Born wild, Lucky was found abandoned as an infant (one report states her mother was killed by a hunter) and taken to the zoo where she

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Mohanmala, a female Asian elephant, died on August 14, 2025, at the approximate age of 85. She was born wild in an unspecified location. It is unknown where or how she spent the first 30 years of her life. In 1970, she was brought to Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve, a tourist destination

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

A beautiful tribute from BEES - Burm & Emily's Elephant Sanctuary, Thailand: “It is with very heavy hearts and many tears that we share our precious Grandma Thong Dee left us at 5:38 AM (Thai Time) today, Thursday 14th August 2025. For the past few years and particularly during the winter seasons

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Padmavathi, a wild born female Asian Elephant, died August 14, 2025, in the Mysore Zoo, India. Her date of birth is unknown. She was estimated to be 67 (some reports claim she was 71). Padmavathi had two children while held in Mysore Zoo, a female, Gajalaxmi, born in 1980 and a male, Abhi, born in

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Fujiko, a female Asian elephant, was born wild in Sri Lanka in 1968. She arrived at the Higashi Park Zoo in Japan in 1982 where she was held alone until she died on July 30, 2025. Elephants are highly social, intelligent and sensitive. A female such as Fujiko would have lived her entire life

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

RIP Gom and thank you to Flo and Save Elephant Foundation Laos for giving her the best years of her life Words written by Erin and Tina. Beloved elephant Gom from Save Elephant Foundation Laos passed away peacefully on 27th July 2025. Rest in peace, Gom, and thank you, Mr. Flo, sanctuary

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Born in the Nilambur forests of Kerala in 1917, Vatsala started her life as a logging elephant. This is a traumatic and hard life for elephants who are harnessed and forced to haul huge logs for the timber industry. In 1971, she was brought to Hoshangabad, a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Kochaiyappan, a male Asian elephant, died July 2, 2025, at about the age of four. He was born wild in the Goodrickal Forest Range, India. Though cause of death is unconfirmed, it appears he died of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV). According to Konni Ecotourism Elephant Camp,

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Jamba, a male African elephant, was born wild in 1996. He was taken out of Estosha National Park in Namibia and arrived at the Belo Horizonte Zoo in Brazil in 1998. He was only two years old. He should have been with his mother, nursing and surrounded by his kin. Instead, he was trapped in a zoo

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Burma, a female Asian elephant, was born in the wild in 1975. By 1976, the infant Burma was stolen from her mother, herd and home and sold into the circus industry where she was brutally trained to perform for humans. Her life of captivity ended in June 2025 at the Seville Exotic Animal Reserve in

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

Shocking, sad news from Global Sanctuary for Elephants today, June 24, 2025: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we must announce that Tamy, the male Asian elephant that lived at Ecoparque Mendoza, passed away last night. Tamy was over 50 years old and had been dealing with some of the

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

We are already getting your submissions for the #Vigil4Elephants At Home Vigil Photos and we very much appreciate everyone that takes a few minutes of their day to do this. If we as a community don't take the time to remember these elephants who never asked for their lives to be spent in captivity,

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Otto, a young bull Asian Elephant, died on June 16, 2025, at the age of 4.5 years, in the Hellabrunn Zoo, Germany. The young elephant succumbed to the deadly Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV). Otto was captive born on November 11, 2020, and lived his entire short life confined in the

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

We honor the life of Heri, an African elephant wild born in 1976 in Kruger National Park, South Africa. In 1979, Hanover Zoo brought her to Europe, and then she was moved to Basel Zoo in Switzerland in 1988. Heri’s story is a tragedy of some of the unimaginable horrors endured by elephants being

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

🐘❤️It is time to start sending in those photos from everyone around the world that takes a minute to remember those captive elephants that lost their lives this past year. Instructions are in the graphics below on how and where to send them. Please read and follow the instructions to ensure we

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Suzy, a female Asian Elephant, died on June 10, 2025, at the age of 74 while held at the Endangered Ark Foundation in Oklahoma. She was born wild somewhere in Asia. Taken from her home and family, she was forced to travel and perform with several circuses until she was transferred to the Endangered

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

For 39 years, Mei Tai lived in a foreign land, far from her ancestral home in Africa. She resided with two other African elephants and two Asians. As with so many deceased elephants, there is nothing reported about her life and little of her death. It is an injustice to Mei Tai that her story

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Vigil4Elephants @vigil4elephants.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Indu's tragic story began at just one year old when she was snatched from her family in Thailand and shipped across the globe to be held prisoner in US zoos. Indu remained confined in sterile, minuscule zoo exhibits for 58 of her 59 years. For her last 26 years, she was incarcerated at the Phoenix

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