NEWS FROM AMERICA’S FIRST ZOO
Contact: Kirsten Wilf Manager, Communications
August 26, 2008
215-243-5336 office
215-906-2896 cell
Autopsy results reveal Petal the African Elephant died as a result of acute heart and lung failure
Philadelphia Zoo officials have received the results of the autopsy on “Petal,” the African elephant, and have determined the cause of death to be acute heart and lung failure.
Petal died unexpectedly on the morning of June 9th at the age of 52, and was the oldest African elephant in an American zoo at the time of her death. A team of three veterinary pathologists, assisted by other veterinarians and zoo staff, performed an autopsy that afternoon, and has since been examining tissue samples and conducting tests to determine the cause of her death.
After discussing the findings of the autopsy results with the pathologists and other independent elephant experts, Dr. Keith Hinshaw, the Zoo’s Director of Animal Health, has concluded that Petal’s death was due to acute heart and lung failure secondary to chronic age-related heart disease, with the chronic condition suddenly worsening after she fell to her side while asleep and was unable to rise. “Although by all external measures, Petal appeared to be in very good shape for her age, we now know that she had significant underlying chronic heart disease,” stated Dr. Hinshaw. “Like some elderly people, older animals are often able to compensate for chronic health problems up to a point, but then when something goes wrong, you can have a sudden dramatic worsening of their condition.”
The conclusion regarding cause of death was based largely on microscopic examination of tissue samples collected during the autopsy. The findings included evidence of significant chronic heart disease with the presence of scar tissue in the heart muscles as well as in the valves that control the direction of the blood being pumped by the heart, resulting in chronic underlying heart failure.
Incidental findings – coexisting medical conditions not related to Petal’s cause of death – included mild age-related arthritis in her hips, knees, and elbows; age-related changes of the kidneys, benign enlargement of one thyroid gland, and mild fibrotic changes in portions of the lungs consistent with possible respiratory infection earlier in her life.
Standard bacterial cultures of lung tissue, along with special stains of lung tissue examined microscopically to detect fungus and bacteria (including “mycobacteria” - the type of bacteria that can cause tuberculosis in elephants and other animals, as well as people) revealed no evidence of active lung infection at the time of Petal’s death. As a routine precaution, however, lung tissue was submitted to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa for specialized mycobacterial culture. Preliminary results from the NVSL made available to the Zoo on Friday, August 22, indicate that mycobacteria appear to be present in the lung tissue sample. But, because this type of bacteria tends to grow extremely slowly, the laboratory estimates it will be another 4-6 weeks before it can issue a final analysis and report specifying what type of mycobacteria might be present. Even if the final analysis confirms the presence of a disease-causing type of mycobacteria, the pathologists’ findings indicate that mycobacteria did not play a role in Petal’s death.
For further information, or to schedule an interview with Dr. Hinshaw, please contact:
Kirsten Wilf
Communications Manager
Philadelphia Zoo
3400 West Girard Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Wilf.Kirsten@phillyzoo.org
215-243-5336
215-906-2896
