Thursday, January 26, 2006; C12

A Sad Farewell for Zoo's Elephant and Cheetah

· It has been a sad week for zookeepers and animal lovers at the National Zoo.

Toni, a 40-year-old Asian elephant, died yesterday. Zoo officials said Toni had arthritis, a condition that made it increasingly hard for her to walk.

Veterinarians had been giving Toni medication to ease her pain, but her condition kept getting worse. In the last few days, visitors said, Toni had been leaning on her trunk to support herself. Because Toni was in pain and would not get better, veterinarians decided that she needed to be euthanized, a way to end an animal's life peacefully.

Toni came to the zoo in 1989.

The zoo's elephant house will be closed until Monday, but visitors will be able to see the zoo's three Asian elephants in the outside yard.

On Monday, zoo veterinarians euthanized Wandu, a 13-year-old female cheetah who was suffering because her kidneys weren't working properly.

Zoo officials said Wandu's condition is common in cheetahs kept at zoos. In the wild, cheetahs usually live eight to 10 years, the zoo said.

The zoo is home to 13 cheetahs. Wandu was not the mother to either litter of cheetah cubs born last year.