A very popular matriarch elephant at Chester Zoo has sadly died

In some very sad news this afternoon, a popular elephant has passed away at Chester Zoo.

Thi Hi Way, an Asian elephant, tragically died after a long battle with arthritis – linked to the time she spent in a logging camp in Myanmar in her early years, before she was rescued.

She was the long-time matriarch of the Asian elephant family at the zoo, and was a great-grandmother.

The news was confirmed to Cheshire Live by Chester Zoo this afternoon, with the attraction saying: “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share news of the death of Asian elephant, Thi Hi Way.”

Jeff Buck / Geograph

She had needed daily medication and innovative hydrotherapy sessions for a while, which were provided to her by elephant care experts.

Sadly, this series of treatments began to lose effect, and after a period of intensive end-of-life care her condition deteriorated to the point where the zoo was forced to make the very difficult decision to put her to sleep.

Mike Jordan, the Director of Animals and Plants at Chester Zoo, said: “This is a truly heart-breaking day. Generations of zoo visitors and the vast majority of our staff have never known a Chester Zoo without great grandmother elephant, Thi Hi Way. She was deeply loved and will be enormously missed.

“Thi was a giant within the global conservation community. While today is terribly sad, we also look back and celebrate her life and remember the hugely positive impact she’s had – not just on the multi-generational family herd here at Chester but on Asian elephant research, understanding and conservation, globally.

“Thi had a big personality. She was a real ambassador for her species and, in many ways, a pioneer. A great deal of what conservationists know about Asian elephant biology and behaviour and the way that these remarkable animals live and reproduce has been learnt from Thi and her offspring.

“She has greatly enhanced our collective knowledge of this wonderful species and leaves an extraordinary legacy, one which has benefited, and will continue to benefit, Asian elephants everywhere.

“Chester Zoo is at the forefront of the fight for endangered Asian elephants and Thi will always be remembered as an integral part of that.”