Korea's oldest elephant, who bridged ties with Japan, dies

Social Affairs

Published: 15 Feb. 2024, 12:57

Korea's oldest elephant, who bridged ties with Japan, dies

Sakura, the oldest elephant in Korea, died at the age of 59 on Tuesday. [SEOUL GRAND PARK]

The oldest elephant in Korea, named Sakura, died at the age of 59 on Tuesday after undergoing intensive care for her disease due to old age, according to Seoul Grand Park Thursday.

The Asian elephant Sakura, born in Thailand in February 1965, became a part of the Seoul Grand Park’s zoo family in May 2003. Her first home was the amusement park Takarazuka Family Land in Japan, which closed earlier the same year due to financial difficulties.

The elephant was sent to Japan just seven months after she was born and was a part of the Japanese park’s circus before coming to Korea.

Upon arriving in Korea, Sakura struggled to adapt to living with other elephants due to her lack of social experience, which is unusual as elephants are known to move in herds.

Sakura eats her snack at Seoul Grand Park. [SEOUL GRAND PARK]

After being cared for alone, the elephant was eventually trained to live with the other elephants — Kima, Sugela, and Hope — at Seoul Grand Park, starting in 2018.

Sakura lived with the other three elephants until recently, according to the zoo.

Sakura had paronychia, a common nail infection among elephants, in 2019 but later recovered.

However, last November, the elephant fell ill with a sudden increase in abdominal fluid and swelling under her genital skin, according to the park.

Sakura went into intensive care after falling ill, but her condition worsened from last month, the park said.

The park said that Sakura had seen some progress in her recovery after zoo keepers made efforts to bring up her appetite and treat her illness, but her condition deteriorated again, leading to her death, the park said.

Sakura sprays water on herself at Seoul Grand Park. [SEOUL GRAND PARK]

Sakura drew the public's attention for bridging ties between Korea and Japan.

Children’s book author Kim Hwang, who is a third-generation Korean living in Japan, published a book based on Sakura’s story, titled “Elephant Sakura” in 2007. The book was named Best Book at the first Creative and Non-fiction Writing Contest for Children hosted by the Japan Children’s Writer Association.

The park said it plans to help the three elephants who stayed with Sakura readjust to their daily lives, preventing them from being affected by the shock of her death.

“Sakura, who lived a lonely and difficult life when young, was able to spend her old days without being lonely after joining the Seoul Grand Park’s family,” the elephant's zoo keepers said in a press release. “Her being Korea’s oldest elephant and being healthy gave hope to the visitors.”

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]