Mumbai:
Bijlee, the 58-year-old elephant, who was found abandoned a fortnight ago in Mumbai, died on Sunday, a volunteer said.
"She breathed her last around 6 am today (Sunday). Along with several veterinarians and experts from different parts of India, we made all efforts to revive her, but she passed away," Ganesh Nayak of NGO Animals Matter To Us said.
Bijlee's body will now be taken over by the forest department and Bombay Veterinary College for an autopsy, he said.
A complaint has been lodged with the police in Mulund, Mr Nayak said.
Bijlee had collapsed under her own weight on June 11 in suburban Mulund. Weighing 5000 kilograms, she suffered from degenerative joint disease brought on by her obesity.
Mr Nayak, along with an NGO and local volunteers, had been taking care of the elephant for the past 20 days. Bijlee's plight moved superstar Amitabh Bachchan who tweeted about her condition and appealed for help.
After Mr Bachchan's appeal, help poured in for Bijlee from many quarters. Initially, she responded well to the treatment, but a couple of days ago her condition suddenly deteriorated and she expired on Sunday.
Capturing of elephants, though banned, still continues in many parts of the country.
Bijlee was taken around to beg, and grace occasions like weddings and other important events. She was made to stand at the venue of such functions to salute guests.
Ramdevi Goswami, who owned Bijlee and has another elephant, 18-year-old Laxmi, says, "Trade has not been stopped. It is still on. There are elephant fairs in Bihar and Assam. We are merely doing what our forefathers did."
There are around 4000 captive elephants in India and half of them face Bijlee's fate. Last year, Sunder, an elephant, was released after Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney and Pamela Anderson demanded his release from a temple in Kolhapur.