"Dondi" 2008 (From Jim Cole)

Dondi 2008, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Buckles, Sad news received from Phil Schacht that their elephant Dondi passed away on July 26 at Southwick's Animal Farm in Mendon, MA. She was being treated for a tooth infection by the zoo Vet. The exact cause of death is not yet known. Dondi was 36 years old. I'm sure we all offer our sincere condolences to the Schacht family on the loss of their beloved Dondi. From The Boston Globe: An Asian elephant rescued more than 30 years ago from a camp in Thailand has died at a local zoo. The animal, Dondi, died Wednesday morning at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon. Dondi was rescued from a lumber camp in Thailand in April 1975 by Phil and Francine Schacht. Dondi had been introduced to several elephants throughout her years but was not interested in them. She had already adopted what she considered her own family, the Schachts. She was even part of a family wedding party in 2008. Dondi traveled with the family to promote environmental and conservation awareness. The Schachts noticed something was wrong with Dondi, so they called in Peter Brewer, DVM at Southwick’s Zoo. Veterinarians worked relentlessly trying to find the critical issues with Dondi's illness, but she died despite efforts to save her. She will be buried on Southwick's Zoo grounds. .