The African elephant Susi, one of the longest-lived of her species in Europe, has died at the Barcelona Zoo at an approximate age of 55 years, well above the 39-year life expectancy of these animals.
Susi, who arrived at the zoo in the Catalan capital in 2002, has died of natural causes due to her advanced age, according to a statement released this Friday by Barcelona City Council.
The elephant was captured in the wild to be exhibited in a circus and before arriving in Barcelona it passed through the Safari Park Vergel, also in Spain.
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Of strong and affable character, Susi had a close bond with her caregivers, who have assured that they will remember her “with great esteem”.
Following the death, the Zoo’s technical team and staff from the Veterinary Pathology Diagnostic Service of the Autonomous University of Barcelona will apply the corresponding protocol, by which all information about the case will be shared with the conservation program of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), of which the Barcelona center is a part.
The Barcelona Zoo, which will not open its doors this Friday, specializes in geriatric care for elephants, with the help of the Zoo Animal Welfare Education Center of the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
A little over a year ago, in December 2024, the African elephant Yoyo, the longest-lived of her species in the world at that time, passed away in the Catalan enclosure, at an approximate age of 54 years.
After the death of Susi and Yoyo, the Zoo now has only one African specimen, Bully. The three had formed a cohesive group of elephants and their coexistence was very good, according to the zoo.
