Zoo in Spain helps aged elephants age gracefully

Two outdated African elephants, Bully (left) and Susi, stand contained in the Barcelona Zoo in Spain, March 27, 2025.
| Photograph Credit score: AP

On the Barcelona Zoo, a 40-year-old African elephant locations her foot by the steel barrier the place a zookeeper gently scrubs its sole — the beloved pachyderm will get her “pedicure”, together with apple slices each day.

The remedy is a part of the zoo’s specialised geriatric look after ageing animals that can’t be reintroduced into the wild as zoos world over more and more emphasise lifelong care.

“Sending them again into nature can be an error,” mentioned Pilar Padilla, head of the zoo’s mammal care. “It is rather seemingly they would not survive.”

Zoos have undergone a rethink in current a long time with the emphasis on the conservation of species and training, transferring away from the previous paradigm that always displayed unique animals as a spectacle.

The brand new strategy contains realizing how one can adapt to the wants of ageing animals, which has led zoos to create larger, extra nature-like enclosures, such because the Sahel-Savannah space on the zoo within the Spanish metropolis of Barcelona.

Together with breeding applications to reintroduce match animals into nature, zoos as we speak need to be sure that animals dwelling longer as a result of developments in veterinary care can age gracefully, mentioned Martín Zordan, the CEO of the World Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums, or WAZA.

“Specialised geriatric care is turning into more and more important,” Zordan instructed The Related Press on the organisation’s Barcelona places of work.

Zordan mentioned that identical to older individuals, aged animals require extra care: common well being checks, arthritis remedy, softer meals or dietary dietary supplements, tailored dwelling areas and monitoring of psychological and behavioural well being.

Together with caring for a pair of ageing elephants, the Barcelona Zoo can be the house for a 15-year-old wolf, a leopard and a tiger who’re each 17, in addition to some older birds — together with a flock of senior flamencos.

It isn’t alone — a number of zoos in the US, for instance, spotlight their remedy of older animals, such because the zoos in Baltimore and Baton Rouge.

A research of grief

Zookeepers on the Barcelona Zoo, not removed from the town’s Mediterranean shoreline, are intently monitoring its two ageing feminine pachyderms, Susi and Bully (pronounced BUH’-yi), as they address the current dying of Yoyo, their former pen-mate and long-time companion.

Yoyo died in December at age 54.

Susi, at 52, is now among the many oldest recognized African elephants in captivity, despite the fact that WAZA mentioned the age of animals born within the wild is approximate. Bully, who’s 40, can be thought of outdated for an African elephant. All three have been captured within the wild and hung out in circuses an different zoos earlier than coming to Barcelona.

The zoo is now working with the College of Barcelona to check the affect of Yoyo’s dying on Susi and Bully. It is the primary research of its variety, centered on elephants not from the identical household after the dying of a long-time companion, Padilla instructed The Related Press throughout a current go to to the zoo’s elephant enclosure.

At first, Susi and Bully confirmed their shock by not consuming, however at the moment are adapting effectively and turning to 1 one other, together with even sharing meals, Padilla mentioned, including that Susi has taken on the dominant function that Yoyo had.

Proof is within the enamel

For elephants, their enamel are the actual age check.

“What marks the decline of the animal is the damage on their enamel,” Barcelona zookeeper José María Santamaría mentioned after ending the Bully’s pedicure. “They undergo six units of molars throughout their life, and once they attain round 40 years outdated they lose the final set.”

Susi and Bully require every day check-ups, meals suited to their now molar-less mouths and additional consideration to their legs — therefore the every day pedicures and the enclosure’s mushy sandy ground to cushion aching toes.

“These are the kind of concerns taken as a result of we care about these animals dwelling comfortably and main lives with dignity,” Zordan mentioned.