Zoo officials said Thursday that they made the difficult decision to euthanize Sophi after her condition declined over the last few days.

A new exhibit at the Indianapolis Zoo this spring will give the African elephants more room and visitors a closer look at them.

Kedar, a 13-year-old male African elephant, tested positive for Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus on May 6.

In the world of animal rights, one activist compares it to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The original plan called for phasing out elephants' role in the circus by 2018.