Los Angeles, Jan 5 (AP) A 53-year-old Asian elephant has been euthanised at the Los Angeles Zoo after she was unable to stand up, the zoo announced on Thursday.

Shaunzi, one of the two female elephants at the zoo, was discovered unable to stand in her exhibit on Tuesday night.

Also Read | Iran Twin Blasts: ISIS Claims Responsibility for Suicide Bombings That Killed 84 During General Qasem Soleimani's Commemoration, Says Report.

"Animal care staff and zoo veterinarians responded quickly and worked through the night to help Shaunzi up. Despite the use of all resources and personnel available, the extraordinary efforts were ultimately unsuccessful," a zoo statement said.

A "heartbreaking" decision was made to sedate and euthanise the animal on Wednesday, the statement said.

Also Read | Iran Blast: Investigators Suspect Suicide Bombers Launched Attack Killing 84 in Kerman As Purported Islamic State Claim Circulates.

Born in Thailand, Shaunzi spent her youth in a circus, came to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in 1983 and was sent to the Los Angeles Zoo in 2017.

The median life expectancy of female Asian elephants in human care has been estimated by various zoos, researchers and conservation groups as around 40 to 50 years. Elephants in the wild can live decades longer.

Asian elephants are considered endangered and only about 40,000 remain in the wild. They are threatened by destruction of their habitat and by poachers who kill them for their tusks.

"Shaunzi lived a full life and was an ambassador for her species. She helped Angelenos learn about her wild counterparts and the challenges they face in their native range," the zoo said. "She will be dearly missed by the Los Angeles Zoo staff, members, and the millions of visitors who come to the zoo each year." (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)