王子動物園のアジアゾウ「マック」が死ぬ、34歳

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is October first. Some sad news from Kobe: a beloved elephant, who came to the city right after a great earthquake, has died. Let's listen.

Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.

On the twenty-ninth, the Asian elephant named Mac died at Oji Zoo in Kobe City.

It means a zoo.

Mac was a male elephant. He died around eleven at night on the twenty-ninth, at the age of thirty-four.

It means male, for animals.

Mac came to Oji Zoo from Switzerland in March of nineteen ninety-five.

It means to come.

In January of that year, a huge earthquake, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, hit Kobe.

It means an earthquake.

For about thirty-one years, Mac was loved by many people as a symbol of the city's recovery from the earthquake.

It means to love.

Since around spring last year, Mac's legs had become weak, and he was receiving treatment.

It means medical treatment.

From around seven in the evening on the twenty-ninth, he could no longer stand up.

It means to stand.

The cause of his death is now being investigated.

It means a cause or reason.

The zoo will be closed on October first.

It means a day off, or being closed.

Let's listen to the whole story one more time.

Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.

From Switzerland, in March of nineteen ninety-five.

He was thirty-four years old.

On October first.

From around seven in the evening on the twenty-ninth.

The zoo is looking into the cause of Mac's death.

That's all for today. Thank you, Mac, for thirty-one years of smiles in Kobe. See you next time.