Elderly common eland euthanized at Chaffee Zoo

Goldie, a 16-year-old female common eland at Chaffee Zoo, was euthanized Thursday as a result of rapidly declining health, officials said.

Zoo staff found Goldie laying on her side around noon and were unable to help her stand. Zoo medical staff made the decision to euthanize her shortly after.

The exact cause of Goldie’s health decline was not found. Veterinarians will perform a necropsy at the California Health and Food Laboratory System at UC Davis.

Goldie was born in 1999 in the Safari West wildlife preserve in Sonoma County.

This story was originally published January 30, 2015 at 8:56 PM with the headline "Elderly common eland euthanized at Chaffee Zoo."