At the Barcelona Zoo, a 40-year-old African elephant locations her foot by way of the steel barrier the place a zookeeper gently scrubs its sole — the beloved pachyderm will get her “pedicure”, together with apple slices day by day.
The therapy is a part of the zoo’s specialised geriatric look after growing old animals that can not be reintroduced into the wild as zoos world over more and more emphasise lifelong care.
“Sending them back into nature would be an error,” said Pilar Padilla, head of the zoo’s mammal care. “It is very likely they wouldn’t survive.”
Zoos have undergone a rethink in current many years with the emphasis on the conservation of species and training, shifting away from the previous paradigm that usually displayed unique animals as a spectacle.
The new strategy contains figuring out the way to adapt to the wants of growing old animals, which has led zoos to create greater, extra nature-like enclosures, such because the Sahel-Savannah space on the zoo in the Spanish metropolis of Barcelona.
Along with breeding applications to reintroduce match animals into nature, zoos at present wish to be sure that animals residing longer as a consequence of developments in veterinary care can age gracefully, stated Martín Zordan, the CEO of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or WAZA.
“Specialised geriatric care is becoming increasingly essential,” Zordan told The Associated Press at the organisation’s Barcelona offices.
Zordan said that just like older people, elderly animals require more care: regular health checks, arthritis treatment, softer foods or nutritional supplements, adapted living spaces and monitoring of mental and behavioural health.
Along with caring for a pair of aging elephants, the Barcelona Zoo is also the home for a 15-year-old wolf, a leopard and a tiger who are both 17, as well as some older birds — including a flock of senior flamencos.
It’s not alone — several zoos in the United States, for example, highlight their treatment of older animals, such as the zoos in Baltimore and Baton Rouge.
A study of grief
Zookeepers at the Barcelona Zoo, not far from the city’s Mediterranean coastline, are closely monitoring its two aging female pachyderms, Susi and Bully (pronounced BUH’-yi), as they cope with the recent death of Yoyo, their former pen-mate and long-time companion.
Yoyo died in December at age 54.
Susi, at 52, is now among the oldest known African elephants in captivity, even though WAZA said the age of animals born in the wild is approximate. Bully, who is 40, is also considered old for an African elephant. All three were captured in the wild and spent time in circuses an other zoos before coming to Barcelona.
The zoo is now working with the University of Barcelona to study the impact of Yoyo’s death on Susi and Bully. It’s the first study of its kind, focused on elephants not from the same family after the death of a long-time companion, Padilla told The Associated Press during a recent visit to the zoo’s elephant enclosure.
At first, Susi and Bully showed their shock by not eating, but are now adapting well and turning to one another, including even sharing food, Padilla said, adding that Susi has taken on the dominant role that Yoyo had.
Proof is in the teeth
For elephants, their teeth are the real age test.
“What marks the decline of the animal is the wear on their teeth,” Barcelona zookeeper José María Santamaría stated after ending the Bully’s pedicure. “They go through six sets of molars during their life, and when they reach around 40 years old they lose the last 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 comfortable sandy ground to cushion aching toes.
“Those are the sort of considerations taken because we care about these animals living comfortably and leading lives with dignity,” Zordan stated.
Published – April 13, 2025 01:06 pm IST
