Siegfried and Roy's 57-year-old elephant, Gildah, died at the Secret Garden at the Mirage, the entertainers said in a statement Thursday.
The ceremonial Thai elephant, which had been with Siegfried and Roy for more than 25 years, died of natural causes, the statement said,
Gildah turned 57 on May 4. The average life expectancy of Asian elephants in captivity is in the early 40s, while Asian elephants in the wild can live to 60, according to the entertainers.
"In celebration of her life, we would ask that donations be made to the American Red Cross in support of animal rescue for those animals affected by Hurricane Katrina," Siegfried and Roy said.
However, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals demanded that Feld Entertainment, owners of Siegfried and Roy's elephant, conduct a necrospy on the animal and make her health records public.