Winky the elephant put to sleep

Winky, a popular but ailing elephant that had been transferred from the Detroit Zoo to a California refuge, has died, the Associated Press reports.

The 56-year-old elephant was euthanized Monday, according to the Performing Animal Welfare Society, which housed Winky in its San Andreas compound.

Officials with the society say Winky was unable to get back on her feet after sliding to her hindquarters over the weekend, forcing veterinarians to euthanize her.

Winky and another Asian elephant, Wanda, were moved in 2005 to the sanctuary in the Sierra Nevada foothills because of arthritis and foot problems.

Wanda, pictured here in the foreground, and Winky stand in their enclosure at the Detroit Zoo in May  2004, months before their transfer to San Andreas.

Fifty-year-old Wanda remains there.

-- Francisco Vara-Orta

Photo: Mandi Wright/AP

Comments

[Nora]

I loved Winky when she lived in the Detroit Zoo and was so happy for her to be able to make the move to California. I feel grateful her last years were in a more natural setting. She was a wonderful pachyderm.