UPDATE: Zoo president says they "did everything possible" to save the baby elephant

After a difficult start to life, the Pittsburgh Zoo's elephant calf has died.

The baby was not gaining weight even after surgical intervention to insert an esophageal feeding tube. Zoo officials decided the most humane course was to euthanize the young elephant. She died surrounded by her keepers.

"Our hearts are broken, it's just devastating" Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, said in a press release. "She touched so many people in such a short time. We did everything we possibly could to care for her, but unfortunately in the end, it just wasn't enough."

The little girl was born one month premature at the International Conservation Center in Somerset County and transported to the zoo because her mother was not producing milk and showed little interest in caring for her offspring.

Her first two months at the zoo went well. A team of caretakers watched her around the clock to ensure she did not imprint on just one human and to spread the workload. Though she remained underweight, zoo officials noted she met all developmental milestones and exhibited a feisty attitude. They were hesitant to say she would make it through, however, given the difficulty in raising a premature elephant calf.

Last week, officials decided to intervene after the baby stopped eating. All four of her molars were erupting at the same time, making feeding painful for the calf. She weighed 184 pounds at birth--54 pounds less than an average calf--but was down to 169 pounds at their last check.

The zoo consulted with other organizations while caring for the calf, including the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya.

"When we spoke with them, they assured us that it was a normal occurrence for calves who are teething to not have an appetite and to lose weight," Baker said. "But they also warned us that sometimes the little calves can't recover from the weight loss and they pass away as a result."

The zoo surgically inserted an esophageal feeding tube to help the calf get the nutrition needed without causing pain as she teethed. After recovering from the surgery, she was being fed every four hours and began showing enough energy to take a bottle.

But it wasn't enough. Her weight did not pick up consistently, so zoo officials made the difficult choice to put her down.

"When the calf did not gain weight, we began to suspect a genetic abnormality or some type of malabsorption syndrome that the calf was born with, that did not allow her to absorb the nutrients as she should," Baker said. "The veterinary team will be doing a full necropsy, which will hopefully shed some light on the problem."

Results of the necropsy will not be available for several weeks.