Zoo Takes 'Dignity' Approach to Its Aging Animals

At the Barcelona Zoo, a 40-year-old African elephant places her foot through the metal barrier where a zookeeper gently scrubs its sole—it's how the beloved pachyderm gets her "pedicure," along with apple slices every day. The treatment is part of the zoo's specialized geriatric care for aging animals that can't be reintroduced into the wild, as zoos around the globe increasingly emphasize lifelong care. "Sending them back into nature would be an error," said Pilar Padilla, head of the zoo's mammal care unit, per the AP. "It is very likely they wouldn't survive."

Zoos have undergone a rethink in recent decades, with emphasis on the conservation of species and education, moving away from the past paradigm that often displayed exotic animals as a spectacle. The new approach includes knowing how to adapt to the needs of aging animals, which has led zoos to create bigger, more naturelike enclosures, such as the Sahel-Savannah area at the Barcelona Zoo. Along with breeding programs to reintroduce fit animals into nature, zoos today want to ensure that animals living longer due to advancements in veterinary care can age gracefully, according to Martin Zordan, CEO of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or WAZA. "Specialized geriatric care is becoming increasingly essential," Zordan said.

He noted that, just like older people, elderly animals require more care: regular health checks, arthritis treatment, softer foods or nutritional supplements, adapted living spaces, and the monitoring of mental and behavioral health. Along with caring for a pair of aging elephants, Bully and Susi, ages 40 and 52, respectively, the Barcelona Zoo is also home to a 15-year-old wolf; a leopard and a tiger who are both 17; and some older birds, including a flock of senior flamingos. Susi and Bully require daily checkups, food suited for their now molar-less mouths, and extra attention to their legs—hence, the daily pedicures and the enclosure's soft sandy floor to cushion aching feet. "Those are the sort of considerations taken, because we care about these animals living comfortably and leading lives with dignity," Zordan said.

(More zoo stories.)