The remains of Ma’ali, the beloved elephant of the Manila Zoo, have been transferred to the National Museum so that she can be properly commemorated, according to Manila Vice Mayor Chi Atienza.
Atienza explained that upon the start of the current city administration, officials discovered that Ma’ali’s taxidermied remains had been left outside the Manila Zoo for months following her death in 2023.
“Pag pasok po namin sa Administration na ito, napansin po ng aming Alkalde na si Ma’ali iniwan lamang sa labas ng Manila zoo pagkatapos ito ma taxidermy ng ilang buwan matapos niyang pumanaw. Nakakaawa po ang lagay ni Ma’ali noon sapagkat tila siya ay napabayaan lamang na maulanan, maarawan at ma expose sa mga insekto at natural elements,” Atienza said.
“Sa totoo lang, naiyak ang puso ko sa sinapit niya ngunit mas naawa ako na tila siya ay naging ‘photo-op’ animal lamang sa labas ng Manila zoo,” she said.
According to Atienza, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno decided that Ma’ali deserved a more dignified and lasting memorial at the National Museum.
“After all, she can no longer be buried as her whole body has already gone through the taxidermy process—and given that she is very big, doing so may face a big risk to the environment due to the chemicals placed in her,” she added.
“I grew up with so much memories about Ma’ali and it pained me to see her leave this world in 2023 the way she did,” she said.
Visiting the National Museum and seeing Ma’ali carefully preserved brought back memories of the elephant’s strength during her lifetime, Atienza shared.
“Seeing her looking alive, well kept in the National Museum reminded me of how strong she was when she was alive.. and she is in a much better place now than where she was placed after her demise.”
“Her life may have been different from the rest of the elephants in the wild, however perhaps her life mission was to make people remember how much we should always love and care for them. And when you see her there, you will remember her life and how she has served to give her self to us,” she added.