Milwaukee County Zoo

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Ruth, a beloved elephant at the Milwaukee County Zoo, died over the weekend. After her second fall this month, zookeepers made the difficult decision to euthanize her. Now, The University of Madison School of Veterinary Medicine is performing a necropsy.

In an interview only on CBS 58, we spoke with the lead pathologist who hopes to find answers behind Ruth’s death, and advance elephant research.

Whenever a zoo animal dies, a necropsy is performed to find out the cause but in this case since we know Ruth was euthanized. The next step is to find out what lead to her failing health.

"Performing a necropsy is a privilege because we want to respect and honor that interaction and connection people have and at the same time provide them answers

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