OKLAHOMA CITY — An animal advocacy group in Seattle has filed a complaint with the Oklahoma State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiner’s over the death of an Asian elephant at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
The 37-year-old elephant named Chai died in January after being moved to the zoo last year from Seattle.
The Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephant alleges the zoo failed to provide adequate veterinary care to the elephant.
Zoo director Dwight Lawson praised the veterinary care Chai received and told The Oklahoman that the complaint is from people “with little to no experience with these animals.” The zoo previously said a necropsy indicated the cause of death was a systemic bacterial infection in Chai’s bloodstream.
Board of Veterinary Medicine director Cathy Kirkpatrick said a committee will review the complaint.
