Denver Zoo Asian Tropics

BeardsleyZooFan said:
Mimi, the 53 year old Asian Elephant, is in poor health. At least the zoo is making everything public so people will know that the end might be near for the elephant, unlike some zoos.
Denver Zoo says elderly elephant in poor health - SFGate
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It's very sad indeed and most zoos usually do keep these things quite but since Mimi is so well know here in Denver it would be best to catalog her possible last days with us. She has been a part of our zoo for many, many years and her legacy will continue to live on. I'm not much of an elephant person and don't get too discouraged when an animal passes at the zoo but I've, like almost everyone at the zoo, grown to really see Mimi's personality and heart. If there are any other people from the Zoo or just people that go to the zoo regularly and have know mimi for a while, we all will work through this change eventually but this elephant will always come first. Then, we need to think about Dolly, our other female elephant. She can't stay alone, as its not good for an elephant and she's a very social one at that. The exhibit was designed to hold bulls for now so not sure what will became of all this, its just a waiting game and I hope Mimi, when she does, will go peacefully.
 
Pacarana said:
It's very sad indeed and most zoos usually do keep these things quite but since Mimi is so well know here in Denver it would be best to catalog her possible last days with us.
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My own zoo Beardsley didn't even publicly announce when one of the longtime and beloved residents, Apache the Gray Wolf, died. Come to think of it, they also didn't mention the death of the North American River Otter either. Or the Red Fox. Or etc.:o
Pacarana said:
Then, we need to think about Dolly, our other female elephant. She can't stay alone, as its not good for an elephant and she's a very social one at that.
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Is Dolly elderly? She could probably move to Elephant Odyssey at San Diego as they are an establishment that cares for elderly elephants. Or possibly Elephant Trails at Smithsonian, as they're looking for some new female elephants.
 
This raises the question of should a zoo publicize deaths. I would lean to a strong no on this topic. We don't need obituaries for zoo animals.
 
jbnbsn99 said:
This raises the question of should a zoo publicize deaths. I would lean to a strong no on this topic. We don't need obituaries for zoo animals.
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No we don't, as there were many before them, but why so gingerly about a beloved animals death?

@BZF - Mimi is 53, not old enough to be this sick in my opinion but there are studies, I believe, about elephants life spans in captive vs wild situations. Dolly is 42 at the moment so older but not too.
 
Pacarana said:
Mimi is 53, not old enough to be this sick in my opinion
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Based on the amount of time Mimi spent in the old enclosure, not to mention the barn in the Denver winters; it's not that hard to fathom how she developed joint and foot problems.
 
loxodontaafrica said:
Based on the amount of time Mimi spent in the old enclosure, not to mention the barn in the Denver winters; it's not that hard to fathom how she developed joint and foot problems.
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I never new she had joint and feet problems. It would make since that she could have it since its quite common for elderly elephants to be handicapped in this way but I always thought she just had a partial paralyzed trunk. Could you direct me to your source? I'm very interested :)

Thank you
 
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