Zoo Operates Under Gaps In Oversight

In January 1999, Spelman decided to treat Nancy's lameness with prednisone, a steroid that is an anti-inflammatory drug and also suppresses the immune system.

In February 1999, Spelman conducted an ultrasound to check on the edema and other problems. She wrote that Nancy might have one of several problems. "Tuberculosis or other granulomatous disease can not be ruled out," Spelman wrote.

Spelman then ordered biweekly tests on the elephant's blood and urine but did not ask for a TB test.

In May 1999, Spelman noted that the prednisone she had ordered for Nancy's foot put her "at risk for secondary bacterial infections."

In July 1999, Nancy was found to have a bone infection called osteomyelitis in her left forefoot, which was treated with antibiotics.

In March 2000, the zookeepers practiced giving Nancy a TB test, going through the motions by placing a few cups of saline water in her nostrils and then getting her to blow into a bag, which would produce a sample that could be cultured. But no actual test was conducted, and no sample from Nancy was ever cultured.

The same day as one of the practice tests, keepers wrote that they were puzzled by the buildup of fluids in Nancy's belly. Still, veterinarians didn't take a sample for culturing.

While Nancy's TB went undetected, Spelman gave interviews to the national media in 1999 and 2000 about geriatric zoo animals and specifically the treatment of Nancy's foot problems. The media focused on Spelman's idea of injecting antibiotics into the foot and applying a tourniquet to concentrate the dose, a technique learned from horse doctors. Spelman and another zoo veterinarian presented two academic papers on the innovation after Nancy died and the TB had been found. Neither paper mentions that the elephant had an undiagnosed case of TB.

Despite Spelman's orders to boost Nancy's diet, the elephant was still lethargic and rejecting her food. By August 2000, Nancy weighed 7,700 pounds, down from 10,000 pounds in 1998.

She was obviously in great pain. She had developed pressure sores on her skin from leaning against walls to take the weight off her sore feet as she slept at night. She had lain down for a few hours one day -- abnormal elephant behavior. "She was resting her head on the bars of the stall," veterinary records on Aug. 19 state. "She does not look very good." Keepers offered treats, but "she does not eat them."

The veterinarians later told pathologists that they had determined that Nancy's pain was "presumably due to degenerative joint disease," according to the pathology report.

She was euthanized Aug. 22 at age 46. Elephants in captivity normally live 50 to 70 years.