Dickerson Park Zoo News Release
May 23, 2002

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 Zoo Mourns Death of Bull Elephant

SPRINGFIELD, MO – The staff of Dickerson Park Zoo is mourning the death of the bull elephant, "Onyx," who died Wednesday evening, May 22. Onyx is more familiarly know as "Big Mac" to everyone in southern Missouri. Preliminary necropsy results indicate mesenteric torsion with subsequent intestinal rupture as the cause of death.
      Onyx initially showed symptoms of discomfort Wednesday afternoon; he refused to enter a mechanical restraint chute to allow zookeepers and the zoo veterinarian to examine him closer and administer treatment. Zoo staff returned to the barn later in the evening to check on his condition and found Onyx dead.
      Onyx was estimated to be 38 years old. He was wild-born in the Assam Valley of northern India and imported in 1965 from Bangkok, Thailand, as one of three elephant calves known as the "Mitie-Mites," a performing elephant act.
      Onyx was donated to Dickerson Park Zoo in September 1980 where he was on exhibit until the off-exhibit elephant breeding facility was completed in July 1988. As part of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan®, Onyx sired 12 calves. Haji is currently on exhibit at Dickerson Park Zoo; he was born in 1999 and is the first calf produced through artificial insemination. Five of Onyx’s offspring reside at other zoos: Asha and Chandra, both born at DPZ, are now at Oklahoma City Zoo; Shanti at Houston Zoo; Raja at the St. Louis Zoo and Hansa at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
      When he arrived at Dickerson Park Zoo in 1980, Onyx weighed approximately 7,500 pounds. More recently, Onyx was estimated to be 10 feet tall at the shoulders and weighed 11-12,000 pounds.
      Onyx was the centerpiece of the captive breeding program at Dickerson Park Zoo. In addition to his successful breeding, Onyx was the focus of considerable research. As a result of these efforts, the staff at Dickerson Park Zoo gained valuable knowledge in the areas of semen collection, analysis, extension and cryopreservation. Semen from Onyx was used in artificial insemination research both on-site and at numerous AZA zoos, including St. Louis Zoo, San Francisco Zoo, Greater Baton Rouge Zoo, National Zoo and Woodland Park Zoo. Research with Onyx also contributed valuable data and samples for projects involving musth, infrasonic communication, estrus detection, pheromones and other areas of elephant physiology.
      Onyx was given the more familiar public name "Big Mac" when he was donated to Dickerson Park Zoo to recognize the contributions pledged by area McDonald’s restaurants to fund feeding him for the first year he was at the zoo.

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