Zoo remembers elephant euthanized after illnesses

A beloved elephant at the Phoenix Zoo has been euthanized after suffering an irreversible decline in health. The Asian elephant named Reba was 51 years old and had recently been treated for arthritis and inflammation.

Zoo officials say she recently showed increased discomfort and decreased activity levels.

She arrived in Phoenix from the Ringling Brothers Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida in 1999.

Elephant manager Heather Wright said Reba was the most vocal of all the zoo's elephants and had a larger-than-life personality.

Video of Reba shows her playing with the spray from a fire hose and a large tethered ball.