Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said there will be no public viewing for Vishwa Ma'ali, popularly known as Mali, the country’s only elephant who died of congestive heart failure on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
In a press conference held at the Manila Zoo on Wednesday, Nov. 29, the mayor raised the possibility that the body of the 43-year-old elephant may undergo taxidermy to preserve her bones, allowing the zoo visitors to see her still.
"Alam nyo naman po, prized possession namin si Mali, siya po ang star attraction dito sa Manila Zoo so nagsisimula na kaming magkaroon ng talks with the experts kung paano magagawang mai-preserve si Mali at mailagay siya sa museum natin dito (As you know, Mali is our prized possession, she is the star attraction here at the Manila Zoo, so we are starting to have talks with the experts on how to preserve Mali and put her in our museum)," the mayor said.
Lacuna-Pangan announced that the city government will soon communicate with the government of Sri Lanka to inform them of Mali's death "in the hope that they find it in their heart to entrust another elephant in our care."
She also became emotional when talking about the memories that Mali left behind, not only to Manileños but also to Filipinos who have been to the Manila Zoo.
"Talaga pong nakakalungkot dahil lahat tayo ay may kanya-kanyang kwento kay Mali. Ako po nung bata pa po ako, ito po ang naging regular naming pasyalan... dito kami dinadala ng aming magulang...kaya nung i-rehabilitate namin ito we made sure na malaki ang ikutan niya, siya ang pambungad na pambati namin dito sa Manila Zoo (It's really sad because we all have our own stories of Mali. When I was young, this became our regular sight... this is where our parents used to take us... so when we rehabilitated the zoo, we made sure it had a big enclosure. She will be the one to greet us here in Manila Zoo)," Lacuna expressed.
Mali was entrusted by late President Ferdinand Marcos to the city government of Manila under the administration of Mayor Ramon Bagatsing in 1981 when the elephant was only 11 months old.
Citing the opinions of experts, the mayor and zookeepers explained that although many are calling for Mali to be returned to her natural habitat, it will not be ideal as she has spent most of her life in a "captive state" and that she may struggle to adapt.
The zoo veterinarians diagnosed Mali with many tumors that affected her various organs and caused too much pressure in her entire body.
They said the elephant's heart can no longer pump enough blood to sustain her life.
The city government noted that Mali had already reached her maximum life span of 40 to 45 years old.
"Sa ating mga kapwa Manilenyo at mga kababayang Pilipino na napamahal na po kay Vishwa Ma'ali, ‘wag kayo mag-alala, hindi lang po sa mga bata kundi pati sa matatanda, kami po sa City of Manila tya di po titigil na makahanap ng panibago pong pambungad na pambati sa into (To our fellow Manilans and fellow Filipinos who have fallen in love with Vishwa Ma'ali, don't worry, not only to the children but also to the elderly, we in the City of Manila will never stop finding new elephant that will greet you)," as she pointed to the frontage statue of Mali in Manila Zoo.
The lady mayor vowed that she would do everything to best preserve the memory of Mali so that zoo visitors may still have a glimpse of the beloved elephant.
The Manila Zoo remains open to the public but Mali's enclosure has been closed off.
"Visitors admitted that going inside now gives a feeling of loss especially since Mali has been a constant for all who seek to learn about animals and for families who simply want to seek respite from their daily routines," the city government said.
The city government also requested the public and media to respect the privacy of Mali by not attempting to take pictures of her body.