Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

National Zoo euthanizes elephant days ahead of the election, inspiring talk of omens because of its namesake
The Blaze ^ | November 4, 2024 | Joseph Mackinnon

Posted on 11/05/2024 12:50:51 PM PST by Twotone

The Biden-Harris administration euthanized a 50-year-old elephant in Washington, D.C., on Friday. Its name was Kamala.

While zookeepers, members of Kamala's herd, and distant animal lovers mourned the creature's death, some commentators suggested online that Kamala's demise — so soon after the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's slaying of Peanut the squirrel and on the eve of the election — might constitute some sort of omen.

The National Zoo, one of the many federally owned Smithsonian Institution facilities in the D.C. area, announced Saturday that after helping manage Kamala's osteoarthritis for 10 years, the creature's keepers elected to "humanely" dispose of her.

According to the zoo, Kamala — not an African elephant but rather an endangered Asian elephant from Sri Lanka that was orphaned as a calf then raised by humans — found it increasingly difficult over the past several weeks to move, suffering limited motion in her wrists, hips, and shoulders. The elephant's degenerative disease affected her joint cartilage and the underlying bone, leaving her stiff and in constant pain.

Hoping the flat terrain might help, the zoo let Kamala and her herd mates parade around the Elephant Community Center and neighboring outdoor habitat. Unfortunately, this change of scenery didn't help as the old elephant "increasingly chose to stand in one spot rather than move about."

The zoo also indicated that Kamala's pain medications were no longer a match for her osteoarthritis.

On account of her limited mobility and increasing discomfort, Kamala's keepers euthanized her in the Elephant Barn.

"The elephant care team fondly remembers Kamala as a smart and inquisitive individual who held a dominant role within the herd," the zoo said in a release. "She built strong bonds with her keepers and enjoyed their attention. Whenever keepers approached, she would rumble and squeak, behaviors that indicated her happiness and excitement."

Kamala was born in Sri Lanka in the mid-1970s, moved to Canada for a period during which she birthed two offspring, then was transferred with her daughter to the National Zoo in 2014.

Owing to the late elephant's namesake in the United States Naval Observatory, superstitious commentators online suggested Kamala's death had greater meaning while others made jokes at the vice president's expense.

Rob Eno, Blaze Media's director of content marketing, tweeted, "The die has been cast. The omens have been read."

Social media influencer Douglass Mackey, the man sentenced to prison last year for Hillary Clinton memes, wrote, "Ominous."

Since the elephant has long been a symbol for the Republican Party, it's unsure precisely what such an omen might portend regarding the election.

"The elephant grew up in a middle class family," wrote one X user.

"Only 50% of the country loved this elephant," quipped another user.

"Her name is Kamala, she lives in DC, is of Indian descent (but is often mistaken as African), has never worked at McDonald's, is claimed to be beloved by many (but is frankly not doing well) and is saying goodbye to supporters this week after a losing battle. She is an elephant," wrote X user Jolly Brandon.

The British political commentator Carl Benjamin, also known as Sargon of Akkad, noted that as news of Kamala's euthanization was spreading, there was also a trending video showing a baby hippopotamus "choos[ing] the Trump cake."

The video, reshared by the New York Post Monday, shows baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng of Thailand presented with a choice of two cakes, then eating the option emblazoned with President Donald Trump's name.

Jimmy von Thron, producer for BlazeTV's "Prime Time with Alex Stein," joked that his confidence was significantly shored up by the hippo's selection, writing, "Just put my mortgage on Trump."

Former NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch said of the hippo's prediction, "More accurate than most."


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: kamala; omens
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

1 posted on 11/05/2024 12:50:51 PM PST by Twotone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Twotone

An elephant named Kamala?

I’ll come back later to check out the jokes.


2 posted on 11/05/2024 12:52:53 PM PST by Dilbert San Diego
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Kamala — not an African elephant but rather an endangered Asian elephant from Sri Lanka


3 posted on 11/05/2024 12:53:33 PM PST by OldHarbor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Definitely an Omen.


4 posted on 11/05/2024 12:54:27 PM PST by Sacajaweau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

O the Hugh manatee!


5 posted on 11/05/2024 12:58:35 PM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Sacrificing animals now? What a cabal.

Couldn’t they just have a shaman burn incense and ring a cymbal?


6 posted on 11/05/2024 12:59:40 PM PST by Justa (Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego

If it was a donkey, it would definitely be an omen.


7 posted on 11/05/2024 1:01:17 PM PST by Right Brother
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Justa

They would have, but he walked off with the lectern and gavel. ;-)


8 posted on 11/05/2024 1:02:24 PM PST by Empire_of_Liberty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Kamala the elephant was born in Sri Lanka and raised in Calgary, Alberta.


9 posted on 11/05/2024 1:05:27 PM PST by DFG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Death is following them around.

Squirrel
Racoon
Elephant
Whats next?


10 posted on 11/05/2024 1:06:07 PM PST by Delta 21 (If anyone is treasonous, it is those who call me such.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

How did they come across that name? Is it common Indian?

Anyway, the omen isn’t all good. She is, after all, and ELEPHANT, not a donkey.


11 posted on 11/05/2024 1:08:00 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tumblindice

12 posted on 11/05/2024 1:08:13 PM PST by Delta 21 (If anyone is treasonous, it is those who call me such.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Right Brother

Agreed.

This might mean “Kamala brought down the elephant”. Or something.


13 posted on 11/05/2024 1:08:58 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Not to mention the death of James Arthur HARRIS a few months ago. Better known as pro wrestler KAMALA. RIP.


14 posted on 11/05/2024 1:13:25 PM PST by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Lines of Haitians were seen forming outside the zoo with large Tupperware containers and machetes .


15 posted on 11/05/2024 1:17:52 PM PST by HereInTheHeartland (Have you seen Joe Biden's picture on a milk carton?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

Poor elephant, no matter her name. Asian elephants apparently live to about 60 in the wild but not as long in captivity. It’s opposite of what happens to some other animal species. In the wild, elephants tend to be the longer-lived animals since they’re just too big for most predators to bother with. They’re more likely to die of a disease or to starve to death once their tusks and teeth wear down. It’s a sad ending, but they get a lot more years than do other animals. RIP to a (usually) gentle giant.


16 posted on 11/05/2024 1:20:47 PM PST by skr (Righteousness exalteth a nation: sin is a reproach to any people. - Proverbs 14:34)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

These are pagan people doing sacrifices to their Satanic gods to increase (they believe) their chances of winning. Blood sacrifice is at the center of modern Satanic cults like the Obamas are in.


17 posted on 11/05/2024 1:44:40 PM PST by Vlad0
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Twotone

A better title would be: “Kamala euthanized.”


18 posted on 11/05/2024 1:46:49 PM PST by dynachrome (Auslander Raus!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Right Brother

It actually the perfect omen. Trump loses-it the elephant. Harris loses-it is the name. Now if it had been a Rhino, it would have been really interesting.


19 posted on 11/05/2024 2:08:16 PM PST by Sertorius (A hayseed with no Greek and dam^ proud of it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: OldHarbor

This was not the whole article.

It’s the Trunkated version.


20 posted on 11/05/2024 3:02:31 PM PST by left that other site (Ask Not What The Left is Doing. Ask What They Are Accusing YOU of Doing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson