Taj, 1940-2011

Taj, America’s oldest elephant, died yesterday at her home at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California. An Asian elephant born March 3, 1940, Taj weighed 9,000 pounds and was a circus performer before coming to Six Flags in 1978. She enjoyed painting and was known for her joie de vivre. Said an attendee of her 70th birthday party last year, “That’s awesome. I wish I could eat cake like that.”