'Saddest Elephant in The World’ Dies After 43 YEARS Alone in Spanish Zoo
AN ELEPHANT dubbed the “saddest in the world” has died after more than four decades living on her own in a Spanish zoo.
The Express UK, 6 Mar 2019
Flavia was dubbed the “saddest elephant in the world” (Image: FACEBOOK)
Flavia was put to sleep last week at the age of 47 after months of deteriorating physical health and depression. The elephant collapsed in her enclosure at Cordoba Zoo and was not able to pick herself up. She tragically spent 43 years in captivity with no other elephants for company.
Flavia was separated from her herd at the age of three and taken to live at the zoo.
Spanish animal charity PACMA had been campaigning for her to be moved to a new home with other elephants.
PACMA’s president Silvia Barquero said: “During all those years she has been alone and captive in the Cordoba Zoo.
“We hope no animal will ever go through this again.”
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Dr Chris Draper, head of animal welfare & captivity at Born Free, added:
“Elephants are highly social, and by rights Flavia should have spent her entire life living in a group of related female elephant - mothers, calves, aunts, grandmothers – in the wild.
“The fact that she lived alone for so long in a zoo is testament to just how captivity fails elephants.
“We must ensure that no other elephants endure the circumstances of Flavia’s lonely life, and phase out the keeping of elephants in zoos and circuses.”
The zoo announced Flavia’s death with “great sadness” on Friday,
Elephants are sociable and intelligent animals and they can live for up to 70 years in the wild.
They live in family units made up of female elephants and calves.
The leader of the group is known as the matriarch and is often the oldest female.
Males leave their family groups when they reach puberty and may live alone or with other males.
Flavia lived on her own at Cordoba Zoo for more than four decades
RIP Flavia- Now You are Finally FREE...
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