Taiwan’s least political war hero has died at the age of 86. While he was not bendiren, the locals loved him deeply. Lin Wang, RIP. 
Click here for the CNN story.
[quote=“CNA’s Sofia Wu”][color=darkred]Lin Wang, the oldest Asian elephant ever recorded, succumbed to old age at the Taipei Zoo Wednesday after living a legendary life full of dramatic twists and turns. “Granddad” Lin Wang, a World War II veteran born in Myanmar, was found dead in his pool at the zoo. He was 86.
His keepers said Lin Wang had been showing signs of frailty since the Chinese New Year holiday earlier this month, moving slowly and eating less. He had been lying in his pool since last Friday.
An initial autopsy report shows that the old soldier died of heart failure. Zoo officials said he had also been suffering from a chronic digestion disorder due to pain in his hindquarters. "We knew that the elephant was fading, but were still somewhat surprised when he died, " said Taipei City Zoo Director Chen Pao-chung. “Anyway, we can at least take a bit of solace from the fact that he died with dignity.”
Lin Wang’s death came as a blow to many of his fans. One veteran who tended to Lin Wang for a year in the early 1950s rushed to the zoo in the suburban district of Muzha upon learning of his death. Zhou Youcun brought with him a photo of him playing with Lin Wang at a southern Taiwan army base and he broke down in tears when zoo staff refused to let him see his old friend.
“I just want to bid farewell to Lin Wang. I have such fond memories of him,” wept Zhou, now in his 70s. Zoo staff observed a minute of silence in memory of Lin Wang, but they would not allow any visitors to approach his enclosure - affectionately called the White House by zoo workers. “We were compelled to impose the ban to protect Lin Wang from being disturbed,” said the zoo director.
Taipei Mayor Ma Yingjiu, who is scheduled to preside over a memorial service for Lin Wang, also mourned the death of the zoo’s oldest resident, describing him as a “common memory for four generations of Taiwanese people.”
President Chen Shuibian issued a brief eulogy in memory of Lin Wang, calling him “forever a friend of Taiwan.” “You accompanied us for nearly six decades. You grew up with us. You’ll live in our memories forever,” Chen said in the eulogy.
Lin Wang’s extraordinary story began in 1943 when he was captured by the Republic of China army from Japanese troops in Myanmar at the height of World War II. He was about 26 years old at the time. Lin Wang and 12 other Asian elephants captured by troops under the command of Gen. Sun Liren joined military service, transporting military goods and equipment.
After the end of the war, the elephants were brought to the southwestern mainland province of Yunnan in 1945. Only seven of them survived the long journey. Lin Wang and two females – A-lan and A-pei – were kept at a zoo in Guangzhou, southern mainland China, while the remaining four were sent to zoos in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai and Changsha.
Sun took Lin Wang, A-lan and A-pei to Taiwan in 1947 when he was assigned to the island to train a new generation of military servicemen, but A-lan died shortly after her arrival in the Fengshan military base in southern Taiwan.
In 1954, Sun donated Lin Wang and A-pei to the Taipei City Zoo, marking their retirement from military service. One year later, A-pei died, leaving Lin Wang as the only surviving war veteran.
In 1954, he was paired with Malan, another female, and the pair quickly became the zoo’s most popular attraction for nearly 50 years. Malan died from cancer Oct. 15 last year, sending Lin Wang into a grim mood for a long period.
Asian elephants have an average life span of 60 years and Lin Wang was the longest-lived of all the 440 Asian elephants for which records have been kept.
Chen Li-piao, Lin Wang’s “nanny” for the past six years, attributed his longevity in part to Taiwan’s climate, which kept him in fresh leaves year round. Zoos in other parts of the world have to rely on dry leaves to feed elephants for at least some parts of the year, he said.
But another part of the secret of Lin Wang’s long life could have to do with his personality, Chen said. “Lin Wang has the courage of a mouse. He never ventured into an area he was not familiar with. Moreover, he was generally tame and lost his temper only on a few rare occasions,” he added.
Zoo officials have decided to make Feb. 28-March 2 a mourning period for Lin Wang and students will be allowed free entrance during the period.
They also plan to have him stuffed and to have skeleton put on display, an undertaking that will cost around NT$5 million. “We hope local businesses will donate the necessary funds for the project,” a zoo administrator said.
The zoo is also seeking donations of records – written, filmed or drawn - of Lin Wang in preparation for a commemorative album of the elephant’s life.[/color][/quote]
