In memoriam: Pachyderm Dulary, the Elephant
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Described by her caregivers as strong-willed and self-confident, Dulary was an Asian elephant born in the wild in Thailand in 1963. She was brought to the Philadelphia Zoo as a 1-year-old and lived there for 40 years. Long criticized for its undersized elephant enclosure, the zoo felt the pressure turned up in 2005, first when Dulary’s eye was gored by an African peer and again when plans for a new $22-million pachyderm enclosure were scrapped due to lack of funds. The next year, the zoo announced it would ship its elephants away. In 2007, Dulary was moved to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, where, despite health issues, she was said to enjoy a happy existence alongside her bff Misty. Sanctuary officials announced her peaceful passing a few days before Christmas.
