Animal conservationists have always advocated for elephants' physical and mental health in captivity. The elephant is the largest land mammal in the world and is known to wander in Asia and Africa. Studies have shown that they live longer in the wild than in captivity. But what happened to an elephant in Brazil that died less than six months after being rescued?
The elephant was held inside a zoo's concrete pit in Argentina for almost its entire life for over 50 years and was recently rescued and transferred to a Brazilian sanctuary.
The Mysterious Death of the Rescued Elephant
Pocha, 57, and her daughter Guillerma, 24, were taken to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil after being rescued from a zoo. Global Sanctuary for Elephants co-founder and CEO Scott Blais told Newsweek that the mother and daughter duo came to the sanctuary in May 2022 after decades in captivity at the Ecoparque of Mendoza in Argentina, where Pocha stayed since 1968.
"She was at the zoo in the same exhibit, that concrete pit, for all those years," the news outlet quoted Blais saying. "That space was just dark, cold, damp, miserable, completely devoid of any stimulation... She was in there for five decades."
The duo quickly adapted to their new surroundings, evident in their walking, grazing, dusting, and playing behavior. The daughter's transformation is even more remarkable as she stops being aggressive and starts being kind and nurturing toward her mother.
After Pocha died, Guillermina is seen spending most of her time with other elephants, accompanying her in the small yard where her mother was buried. Blais said that Poacha's behavior changed shortly before passing away, as if she knew her time was up.
The four elephants stood on different sides of Pocha's body as if holding a silent vigil. Global Sanctuary for Elephants said in a statement that elephants have an innate ability to communicate with each other in ways humans will never understand. This is the first time they see such a level of herd support given to another who passed away.
As of now, the real cause of the death of Pocha remains unknown, although there are speculations that the zoo was responsible for it. The necropsy suggests that Pocha has been suffering from a chronic disease of unknown origin. They are waiting for the pathologist to confirm and determine the exact cause of death.
Captivity is Not Suitable for Elephants
Elephants in captivity have always suffered illnesses, such as digestive issues, stomach ulcers, osteoarthritis, infections, and issues with colic. A 2008 study cited by National Geographic shows that captive elephants have a shorter lifespan compared to those living in the wild.
The study found that zoo-born female African elephants have a median lifespan of 17 years, while those living in the Amboseli National Park live for 56 years.
Similarly, zoo-born female Asian elephants only live 19 years compared to those living in the wild, who survive until 42. More so, researchers are surprised that Asian elephants bred and born in captivity died earlier than those imported into zoos from the wild.
Researchers cannot pinpoint why captive-bred elephants are dying sooner than their wild-caught counterparts but believe that there must be happening very early in life in those zoo animals that could happen before they reach three or four years old, affecting their lifespan.
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