OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is mourning the lack of a maternal determine for the native elephant herd.
Officials say they needed to humanely euthanize the zoo’s oldest Asian elephant, Bamboo, on Tuesday morning.
Bamboo handed away peacefully contained in the zoo’s elephant barn. Caretakers additionally introduced your complete elephant herd collectively contained in the barn to be close to Bamboo.
At roughly 56-years-old, Bamboo was the zoo’s oldest Asian elephant and thought of geriatric. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the median life expectancy of a feminine Asian elephant is 47.
Organizers say Bamboo has exhibited habits modifications and slower mobility since 2019. Caretakers developed a each day geriatric care program that included superior therapy for arthritis with remedy and bodily remedy.
Bamboo’s mobility was impacted because of suspected injury to a ligament in her proper knee. Officials say she sometimes skilled momentary lack of power in her rear proper leg, which brought about it to ‘buckle’ or ‘give out.’
These incidents had been rising in latest weeks. Due to her instability, Bamboo was not ready to participate in bodily remedy.
Caretakers say they realized her high quality of life was diminishing past medical therapy. As a consequence, the zoo’s veterinary crew determined to euthanize Bamboo.
“Bamboo was a wonderful elephant and it was honor to care for her throughout her senior years,” mentioned Rachel Emory, OKC Zoo’s curator of elephants and rhinos. “Though this decision was extremely difficult we did not want Bamboo to experience any pain or suffering and together, as a team, decided it was time to say goodbye.”
“The Oklahoma City Zoo strives to provide the best care and welfare, from birth to death, for all of the wildlife that call the Zoo home.” mentioned Jennifer D’Agostino, OKC Zoo’s director of veterinary providers. “However, when an individual animal’s health declines beyond the help of medical therapy, compromising its quality of life, we have to make the difficult decision to humanely euthanize that animal.”
Bamboo got here to the Oklahoma City Zoo in 2015 from Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington after they determined to relocate their elephants.
Bamboo was affectionally often called the grandmother of the Zoo’s elephant herd and likewise loved her independence from the herd. Bamboo developed a particular bond with the herd’s youngest male elephant, Kandula, and spent a whole lot of time with him.
The zoo is residence to seven Asian elephants together with 55-year-old Rex, 26-year-old Asha, 25-year-old Chandra, 20-year-old Kandula, 7-year-old Achara, 4-year-old Kairavi, and 10-month-old Rama.
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