Truly heartbreaking: In Memory of Tamy the Asian elephant after years of torture in a circus, unable to trust humans was learning to enjoy life but it was not meant to be

Dear Readers, I know and I see that the zoo where Tamy lived is not what we want a zoo to be.  I want to be fair. The zoo has had many problems and many bad reviews. Nevertheless Tamy was saved from a far worse situation in a very cruel circus  Animal welfare organisations are helping zoos to improve animal life and most are doing their best. The staff loved him and that is a comforting thought. 

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 physical difficulties that come with age and extreme confinement. His body had been slowly facing more and more challenges, so though this is a shocking development, it’s also a sad representation of what captivity can do to an individual, especially over the course of decades. We don’t yet know the cause of death, but a necropsy will be performed soon that will hopefully provide more details.

Tamy was a former circus elephant who had lived at the ecoparque for over 30 years. His past in the circus meant that most, if not all, of his training was dominance based, so he had a deep distrust of humans. Over the past three months, our team of caregivers had been working to build a relationship with him, and he was beginning to respond positively to the time they were spending with him. While his path to sanctuary would not have been a simple one, we were committed to making sure he had the chance at a life of autonomy that it provides. We know that all of you were invested in Tamy’s journey and that you gave generously toward the preparations needed for his relocation. We thank you for your commitment to Tamy and to the other captive elephants around the world. Tamy will be remembered for the sweet disposition that would sometimes shine through the rougher exterior in moments he felt safe enough to let his guard down. While his passing speaks to the legacy of captivity, his life was more than his situation and surroundings. He was a sweet boy who was trying to trust in himself and those around him and start his emotional journey to freedom before taking the steps in his physical one. We will cherish the little glimpses he shared of the version of him that he hid deep inside decades ago, but that we all knew was the beautiful true him.

Global Sanctuary for Elephants