The great and beautiful Tricia, believed to be one of the oldest elephants in the world, has died at the age of 65, marking the end of an era for the Perth Zoo.
Tributes immediately began to be flooded by the Asian elephant who painted pictures and entertained countless visitors for nearly six decades at the zoo.
“Tricia was not only well known, but well-loved,” Prime Minister Mark McGowan said in a statement.
Tricia, the Asian elephant who has lived at Perth Zoo since the age of six, died Wednesday, July 6, at the age of 65. (Supplied)
“His stature and grace were compelling. For many, he was an icon of Perth.
“For six decades, it was an integral part of any visit to the Perth Zoo.
“If you lived in Perth at some point in your life, you probably have a memory of Tricia.”
His death Wednesday night, which was said to be due to age-related complications and was expected to cause the zoo’s elephant exposure to close, was not unexpected.
Elephant Tricia’s health is deteriorating rapidly and her caregivers fear she has only days left. (9 News)
Tricia’s vets and caregivers had been closely monitoring her health for a while before her health deteriorated rapidly, said McGowan’s office, which described the elephant as one of the oldest in the world and the oldest cared for by an Australasia zoo.
“Tricia’s last moments were quiet. She was surrounded by her caregivers in her nightclubs on Wednesday evening, July 6, 2022,” she said in a statement.
The zoo wants the bad guys to make a donation to the Tricia Tribute to Conservation Fund instead of sending flowers, to help create a “lasting legacy for this extraordinary animal.”
Tricia arrived in Western Australia when she was six years old from Vietnam in 1963. (9News)
The fund is designed to help support the zoo’s conservation efforts and build an elephant guard post on the Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, to help control and protect one of the last wild herds of wildlife. ‘remaining Sumatran elephants.
Six-year-old Tricia, named after a Miss Australia winner, came to Western Australia from Vietnam in 1963 and has since delighted Perth audiences.
Six-year-old Tricia came to Western Australia Vietnam in 1963 and has since enchanted and entertained the people of Perth. (Supplied)
The funds from the sale of his popular artwork are intended to protect endangered Sumatran elephants.
“She knows how to grab a piece of your heart and not return it,” elephant guard Kristy Carey said Tuesday, before the huge mammal died.
“There will be a big hole missing when she goes.”
The artwork of Tricia the Elephant is well known and popular. (9 News)
Perth Zoo will hold a commemorative walk on Sunday to give the public a chance to pay their respects to the matriarch.
“As an ambassador animal, Tricia had a monumental impact on the conservation of her species and it is comforting to see that this continues after her death,” said Environment Minister Reece Whitby.
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“I would encourage everyone to honor Tricia and say goodbye by visiting the memorial walk or sharing memories of Tricia online at the Perth Zoo website.”