Tusker 'Champa' dead

An ailing old female elephant,
Champa (48) died here due to suspected heart related problem, a senior zoo official said today.
"Champa, who belongs to Makhkna breed died last night in her new enclosure where the female elephant was shifted on April 15, on the orders of the Madhya Pradesh High Court," Kamala Nehru Zoo In-charge, Dr Uttam Yadav told PTI.
Her male companion Moti was shifted to the new enclosure on April 27, he said.
Yadav said that the exact cause behind the death of Champa will be known after autopsy but prima facie it appears that the female elephant died because of heart related ailment.

Acting on a PIL, Madhya Pradesh High Court had directed to keep Moti and Champa in an open enclosure.

They were chained since last 10 years because of their angry nature. However an animal-friendly organization petitioned High Court on the issue following which court directed zoo authorities to keep them in an open enclosure which was constructed in more than one acre area by spending Rs 60 lakh.
Experts opined during hearing in the matter that both Champa and Moti because of their volatile nature cannot be kept in open nor they are fit for being released in forest area as they are not used to it.

Following which the court directed authorities to construct an open enclosure for them in the zoo itself.