Susi, the oldest elephant at Barcelona Zoo, dies

BarcelonaA day of mourning at Barcelona Zoo. Susi, the park's oldest African elephant and one of the oldest in Europe, passed away this Friday. She was estimated to be over 55 years old, exceeding the average lifespan of elephants in captivity, which is 39 years. Susi had been at the zoo for 23 and a half years after a difficult life. As a young elephant, she had been captured in the wild to be exhibited in a circus, and before arriving at Barcelona Zoo, she had been at the Safari Park Vergel in Alicante. As a result of Susi's death, the zoo will remain closed this Friday.

With Susi's passing, only one elephant remains at the zoo: Bully, who is approximately 41 years old. Yoyo died in December 2024 at the age of 54. In his case, he had arrived at the zoo in 2009 precisely to keep Susi company, who had been alone since the death of Alice, another African elephant at the Barcelona Zoo, that same year. As gregarious animals, it is important for elephants to be in company, socialize, and maintain the matriarchal social structure characteristic of this species. Now we will have to see how Susi's death affects Bully.

Since 2013, the zoo has had an enclosure for the elephants that replicates the Sahel savanna and was designed following criteria that promote animal welfare. In this enclosure, there are feeders located eight meters high that allow the elephants to forage as they would in the wild, and the area is also equipped with natural substrates, mud, branches, and climate-controlled shelters with natural light and free access.

"Great appreciation" from the staff

In a statement, the director of Barcelona Zoo, Antoni Alarcón, highlighted "the work and effort" of the entire team of zookeepers who, throughout all these years, have cared for Susi. "The staff, as well as the members and visitors, will always remember Susi with great affection," he added. The Zoo is currently undergoing a complete redefinition process, which is leading it to become a biodiversity reserve rather than a place to see exotic animals. Therefore, over time, animals such as elephants and rhinoceroses will disappear from the park, and species closer to being protected or reintroduced into the wild will become more prominent. Ultimately, the aim is for the zoo to become increasingly a center for the conservation and recovery of biodiversity and less a place to observe exotic animals.