Elephant mourns death of twin

Elephants are revered in Thailand as a national symbol

Vets in Thailand are baffled by the sudden death of a rare twin elephant at a zoo near the capital, Bangkok.

The elephant, Joom, was one of a pair of twins - an unusual phenomenon among elephants.

She fell ill on Friday, began to vomit and attacked her keeper before dying a few hours later.

Jim is depressed and has refused to eat. She is being kept under close watch as we fear she might die too

Zoo director Thanapat Pongpamorn

Television pictures showed her twin, Jim, desperately using her trunk to try to lift her dying sister to her feet. The elephants' keeper looked on, sobbing.

The zoo's director says he is concerned about the surviving twin's health, as she appears depressed and is refusing to eat.

Nine-year-old Joom and Jim had been the star attractions at Khao Kheow open zoo in Chon Buri province, and may have been unique.

Pesticide suspicion

Veterinarian Alongkorn Mahonnop told the Bangkok Post: "Twins are very rare in elephants ... but their health was never good since their mother, Lamduan, had no milk."

Alongkorn said he had never seen an elephant showing the symptoms displayed by Joom before her death.

There are suspicions she may have eaten food contaminated by pesticide, and her organs have been sent to a laboratory for tests.

Khao Kheow Zoo director Thanapat Pongpamorn said he was worried about the surviving twin, Jim, who has been inconsolable since the death. She has been taken away from the public section of the zoo.

"The twins were very close. Jim is depressed and has refused to eat. She is being kept under close watch as we fear she might die too," he said.

The elephant twins were born in 1993 near the famous Bridge over the River Kwai, where their mother Lamduan worked, giving rides to tourists.