India, Sept. 19 -- No sickness or abnormal behaviour reported till September 16 says authorities, activists describe Shankar's premature death as heartbreaking culmination of several years of institutional apathy, neglect

Shankar-Delhi Zoo's lonely, male African elephant-died on Wednesday at just 29 years of age and the authorities have ordered a probe to find what happened.

Shankar's death comes amid significant public controversy around his care and mental health-a reason why the Centre issued a press statement on Thursday to address concerns and explain steps taken by the authorities.Also, the Delhi Zoo is the only zoo in the country directly managed by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.

Shankar had been...