Growing Old Gracefully - A Look into the Zoo's Geriatric Animal Friends

Aging – perhaps something we think of only in terms of humans, but it’s actually a topic worth exploring as it relates to our animal collection. As they say, some things only get better with age – from wisdom & self-confidence to cast iron skillets and a good red wine! But, when it comes to wild animals, there’s more to the story that meets the eye to the average zoo guest.

If you stop and think about the typical life of an animal in the wild, in many instances, they wouldn’t live to a full life expectancy due to a variety of factors including: predation, environmental encroachment, disease — among others. But, as those same species are taken care of by humans inside of zoos, they enjoy a perfectly prepared habitat to meet their needs, an individually tailored and prepared diet, access to key medications and round the clock medical attention.

This ability to live in a well-appointed environment and be monitored on a daily basis, allows many wild animals in human care to live well beyond their normal life expectancies. When this happens, aging begins to take place – and with that, comes unique and special protocols and procedures to ensure all of our animals live happy and comfortable lives, even if well into their ​“elderly” years.

In fact, caretaking for our geriatric animal population actually requires more specialized training and is much more intricate than the care of the young and spry. It requires the staff who work with these animals on a daily basis to pay extra special attention to what their ​“new normal” is as an aging animal. This can be the difference between spotting an illness or a sign of advanced maturity. As well, with age, the team wants to ensure an animal remains lean and is active, by providing enrichments that encourage he or she to get up and get moving. All of these factors help the animal remain adaptable and strong.