Mali was born in January, 2010 to mother Dokkoon. She instantly became a media star and visitors flocked to the Melbourne Zoo in their thousands just to see her.

Mali, along with her younger brother Ongard, are of great significance to the regional endangered species conservation breeding program. Mali was the first elephant to be born at Melbourne Zoo, the first female elephant ever to be born in Australia and the first elephant to be born through artificial insemination.

Her status as a Melbourne Zoo icon is evident in the 50 Mali in the City sculptures, which were created to celebrate Melbourne Zoo's 150th birthday in 2012. The sculptures were painted by a variety of artists, displayed around Melbourne and then sold to raise money for the Zoo's conservation projects.

Further information:

150 years Melbourne Zoo, Zoos Victoria, Bounce Books, 2012