Flavia, a 47-year-old Asian pachyderm who spent most of her life in solitary confinement at a zoo in Cordoba, Spain, died Friday.
Spanish news outlets dubbed Flavia “the saddest elephant in the world” due to her four-plus decades of living in isolation.
The loner pachy — who was separated from her pack at age 3 and never saw another elephant — was euthanized, despite fierce opposition from the Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals, a group that fought to free her from captivity.
She reportedly suffered from depression.
A Cordoba city hall rep released a statement upon her death: “During the last six months, Flavia’s physical condition had deteriorated, but especially so in the last two weeks.”
According to a study by National Geographic, elephants in protected areas of Asia and Africa have twice the life span of those living in European zoos, citing the mental health effects of living in captivity.
Maxine, a 48-year-old elephant, was put down in November at the Bronx Zoo, sparking ample outrage from American animal activists.