This is without doubt the hardest report I have had to pen and it fills my heart with sadness to recall the death of this beautiful infant.

We await medical findings and this information will be made available when there is anything to report.

On Friday night (22 Nov) Ging Mai was healthy, happy and full of the natural curiosity of an inquisitive infant.

The following day he became weak and unable to stand. Despite round the clock supervision his condition grew steadily worse until his final passing in the early hours of Sunday.

Since his rescue in December last year, Ging Mai became a loved symbol of elephant freedom for visitors and volunteers alike from around the world. His friendly and affectionate manner left an indelible mark on those lucky to have spent time with him and his shock death will be mourned in dozens of countries.

We are unsure of the reasons why an apparently healthy infant would become critically sick in such a sudden manner. When tests results return we will feature them in an updated report.

The test were not conclusive but there were suggestions that poison was involved. A sinister visit by three Thai men on the Thursday prior to his illness was never fully explained.