MANILA -- A group of animal rights advocates on Sunday assembled outside the Manila Zoo, where they paid tribute to Mali -- the zoo's lone elephant who passed away last week.

• Philippines' lone elephant, Mali, dies
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Edison Yu, a spokesperson for the activists, highlighted Mali's isolation.

"Siya ay mag-isa sa kaniyang kulungan at wala siyang nakikitang kauri niyang elepante.... Namatay po si Mali. Siya po ay nabansagang 'world's saddest elephant'," said Yu.

"Wag na pong suportahan ang pagkakakulong ng mga animals dito sa Manila Zoo," he added.

Another activist, Alex Orlino, objected to the ongoing practice of confining animals in Manila Zoo and other parks. Orlino urged the government to refrain from adding more animals to the zoo and other facilities that they say exploit and subject animals to a lifetime of suffering.

"Inosente siya pero nakulong siya ng 47 years so hindi dapat mangyari yung ganun..tapos may plano pa na palitan pa ng bagong Mali. Nakapaka-insensitive na nun," said Orlino.

"Kung tayo ay ikulong ng walang kasalanan eh di natin magugustuhan at ang matindi ay kung pinagkakakitaan yung pagkakakulong natin...pagsasamantala na yun," he added.

Mali died on November 28, with an expert later saying that the cause of death was congestive heart failure.

A necropsy also revealed that Mali had nodules around her liver and a slightly inflamed kidney, among other issues.

Mali, believed to be around 50 years old, was first brought to the Manila Zoo - Southeast Asia's oldest menagerie - when she was just 3 years old.

The Sri Lankan government sent Mali to the Philippines - which then had the only zoo in the region - in the 1970s after she was found orphaned in the wild.

Several animal rights group have been calling for her release from the zoo, saying wild animals should not live in captivity.

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