When we trim his nails, we take the opportunity to brush some minor matting since he does not groom as often anymore.Īs you may now appreciate, there are many layers to caring for our special aging animal collection that the public never sees or even realizes takes place. Because of his lower level of activity, we monitor his nails to make sure they are not overgrown. They also provide him with a multitude of low level, soft, shaving lined beds for him to sleep on so there is less pressure on his joints. The team began seeing advanced signs of arthritis in George recently and therefore he began daily medication, adjusting those medications as necessary. He is 23-years-old with a typical life expectancy of 15-20 years. Most of all, our team provides patience and that’s making all the difference his Oso’s considerable quality of life. As well, Oso enjoys extra shavings for his bedding and is given lots of time and treats (in the form of fish) when it’s time for him to shift or complete a necessary task. In fact, the staff typically soaks his omnivore diet in apple juice or boils his vegetables and fruits, such as sweet potatoes and apples, to ensure he can chew and enjoy without pain. This includes joint medication for his arthritis and the softening of his food for dental issues. Oso is lovingly referred to as our “sweet old man” and we take good care of him during his twilight years. He is 28-years-old with a typical life expectancy of 20-30 years. But when that time comes, we will be prepared to adjust his night house with appropriate bedding or supplemental medications to ensure his comfort. Fortunately, we have not seen many early signs of arthritis - which is also very common as animals age. Some modifications we make for this diagnosis include: closely monitoring his water intake, his appetite, his energy level, and his weight. The great news is he can live a happy healthy life with this diagnosis for quite some time. Our animal care staff has started to see early-stage renal disease, which is very common in this species as they age. He is 18-years-old with a typical life expectancy of 15-20 years. Let’s take a deeper dive into a few of our geriatric animals and learn how the team is taking amazing care of them as they age. All of these factors help the animal remain adaptable and strong. 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. This can be the difference between spotting an illness or a sign of advanced maturity. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Growing Old Gracefully - A Look Into The Zoo’s Geriatric Animal Friends December 02 2021Īging – 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.
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