A male Asian elephant named Artid at the Ueno Zoological Gardens in Taito Ward, Tokyo, has died at the age of 23, the Tokyo metropolitan government announced on Monday.
Artid was born in Thailand in 1996 and was transferred to Japan in 2002. In February of this year, Artid succeeded in breeding with a female, named Authi, who is expected to have a calf in the autumn. The average life span of Asian elephants is believed to be between 40 and 50 years, but Artid's health deteriorated from around July 29. It was confirmed that Artid died on the morning of Aug. 24. The elephant is believed to have died of an unspecified illness.
The total number of elephants now being raised in Tokyo is eight, with three at Ueno Zoo and five at Tama Zoological Park in the city of Hino in Tokyo.
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