An elderly African elephant making her way across the country to find a new home — and new friends — in Colorado Springs has died, officials at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said Sunday.

COLORADO SPRINGS | A 44-year-old elephant has died while being transported from a zoo in South Carolina to one in Colorado.

An elderly African elephant making her way across the country to find a new home — and new friends — in Colorado Springs has died, officials at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said Sunday.
An elderly African elephant making her way across the country to find a new home — and new friends — in Colorado Springs has died, officials at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said Sunday.

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said Sunday a necropsy is planned to determine why the African elephant named Joni died.

The Colorado Springs Gazette reported Monday Joni was being moved from the Greenville Zoo in Sourth Carolina because her longtime companion there died in March.

Elephants need companions for their mental well-being, and the Colorado Springs zoo has four other mature elephants.

A veterinarian and elephant keeper from Greenville were checking on Joni at every stop, and nine zoos along the route were on standby to help in case of an emergency.

The Colorado zoo says Joni died so quickly that nothing could be done for her.