Animal welfare group says bacterial infection killed Sonia the elephant in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- A veterinarian with a global animal welfare organization says Pakistani veterinary surgeons found that a bacterial infection killed an elephant at a safari park in the city of Karachi earlier this month. Dr. Amir Khalil with the Vienna-based Four Paws told The Associated Press Wednesday the infection spread through 19-year-old Sonia's body, from her foot. Four Paws said the autopsy was conducted last week and that Sonia's death was the consequence "of prolonged species-inappropriate living conditions and malnutrition." An African elephant's average lifespan is usually between 60 and 70 years in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund.