Zoo Atlanta elephant that died had pneumonia

Zoo Atlanta’s African elephant Dottie, who died suddenly last week in the third trimester of her pregnancy, suffered from acute pneumonia, according to a preliminary necropsy.

The Grant Park attraction is still investigating the exact cause of death for the 26-year-old elephant, but said it found evidence of the pneumonia in its initial testing.

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Johnny Crawford/AJC

Dottie, one of three African elephants at Zoo Atlanta, was found dead early Oct. 28.

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Dottie, one of three African elephants at Zoo Atlanta, was found dead early Oct. 28. Zoo officials said the animal had been sick and had lost more than 800 pounds, but they had thought she was on the rebound.

The illness apparently did not immediately affect her calf’s health.

“Dottie’s pregnancy appeared to be progressing well,” said Dr. Sam Rivera, interim director of veterinary services. “The unborn female calf was well-formed and weighed approximately 160 pounds.”

While the preliminary tests found Dottie had acute pneumonia, she tested negative for tuberculosis, the zoo said.

Final necropsy results and a possible cause of death are expected in a month.

Agencies helping the zoo investigate the death include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases Laboratory at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.