Idol of the Okinawa Zoo, first Okinawa-born elephant dies

Idol of the Okinawa Zoo, first Okinawa-born elephant dies

Indian elephant Rubi eating her special cake for her second birthday


 

January 23, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

A female Indian elephant named Rubi raised at the Okinawa Zoo & Museum in Okinawa died on January 22. She lived for two years and ten months. Her appetite and health condition had declined a few days before her passing. The Okinawa Zoo & Museum will hold a press conference on January 23 to explain the cause of her death. Rubi was the first elephant born in Okinawa, and many visitors loved her.

 

Rubi was born March 4, 2015. Her name was sought from 6,138 publicly offerred names by choosing the most popular one with the Chinese character of 琉美. The pronunciation was chosen by her mother Ruka who drew the lot.

 

Many customers and zoo workers celebrated her birthday every year, watching her grow with the mother elephant Ruka.

 

“Everyone’s treasure”

 

Head zookeper Masaru Takada reflected and shared thanks to the late baby elephant, commenting “Rubi was loved by many visitors, and she was everyone’s treasure. Since she was born, every single thing about her was a new experience for our workers, and it was a learning process.”

 

(English translation by T&CT and Sayaka Sakuma)

 

Go to Japanese


　


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