Text, photos, and source code © Merry L. Morris

Photo taken June 8, 2008

Petal was always there. The very first time I visited the Philadelphia Zoo, in 1967, Petal was there.

And, all the other thousands of times I visited the Zoo, she was always there. Until recently, when the Pachyderm House was closed to visitors, I saw Petal during every visit, even visits on the coldest winter days.

Petal came to the Philadelphia Zoo as a baby elephant. For more than fifty years, she received the best care, love, and respect from the zookeepers and staff.

Petal was scheduled to move to the Pittsburgh Conservation Center some time this year, but she died suddenly June 9, 2008. The photo above shows her almost exactly 24 hours before she passed away. She appeared peaceful, content, and healthy, as always.

As wonderful for elephants as the Pittsburgh Conservation Center would have been, I believe she would have missed the love, the care, and the routine of her life at the Philadelphia Zoo.

Because, for almost her entire life, Petal was always there.