St. Louis, Missouri - Rani, a beloved 27-year-old Asian Elephant at the St. Louis Zoo, has died. Zoo officials announced her death Monday, saying a loose dog may have been indirectly responsible for her death.

The 27-year-old female Asian elephant and mother of three calves unexpectedly passed away on Friday, October 13.

"We are absolutely devastated. We ask for the community’s thoughts and support during this difficult time," said Michael Macek, Saint Louis Zoo Director in a statement. "Our team of professional animal care experts did everything possible, but we couldn’t save Rani."

A necropsy, or animal autopsy, performed by the Zoo's pathologist revealed that Rani had some preexisting heart problems. Whether these conditions contributed to her death is not yet fully clear and the zoo is still investigating.

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The elephant's death may be tied to the disturbance caused by a small unleashed dog running around near the Elephant Barn on Friday afternoon.

While the mama elephant didn't see or hear the dog running around because she was inside eating dinner, another elephant did and became agitated.

According to the Zoo's statement, while some members of the Elephant Care team tried to catch the dog, others moved the elephants inside.

Once they were in the barn, the herd started to vocalize. Their agitation upset Rani, who joined in. She ran in a circle and vocalized before collapsing.

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The Elephant Care team saw her fall and performed emergency care, but were unable to revive her.

"Rani was a special member of this elephant family group," said Katie Pilgram-Kloppe, Zoological Manager of River’s Edge. "While growing up here in St. Louis, she got to learn from her own mom, Ellie, on how to be an amazing mother herself. She had a great relationship with her animal care team and all of the other elephants."

Eight elephants remain at the St. Louis Zoo including Rani's 16-year-old daughter, Jade, and Rani's mother Ellie (52).

Following her death, the Zoo says that both current and past members of the Elephant Care Team – as well as all of the elephants – were given time with Rani to say goodbye Friday evening.

The herd has calmed down and is currently doing well.