Aalborg Zoo has given up its last two elephants: "They have been iconic for our zoo"

After more than 70 years with elephants in Aalborg Zoo, it's now over. The last two combatants, Mai and Tanja, were euthanized today. Mai's health had deteriorated in recent times, and Tanja couldn't live alone.

- It's a sad day. It's empty, even though we know it's the right decision we've made, says zoologist Anette Sofie Warncke Nutzhorn.

- They've been some animals here for many years and have been very iconic for our zoo. So it's a hollow feeling and a day we just have to get through.

The euthanization of Aalborg Zoo's last elephants means that there are now only two places left in Denmark where one can see the world's largest land animals in living condition.

In Copenhagen Zoo, the herd was recently expanded with a newborn, and in Knuthenborg Safaripark, Denmark's last four circus elephants roam.

In Aalborg Zoo, there are no plans to get new elephants, as the zoo's facilities are no longer up to date, explains Anette Sofie Warncke Nutzhorn.

The same messages have sounded from other Danish zoological gardens in recent years.

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Former caretakers: They should have been the last

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For 34 years, it was among others caretaker Paw Gosmer who took care of Aalborg's elephants.

In 1985, four small elephants came to North Jutland from South Africa – and just five years later, an 17-year-old Paw Gosmer started as a caretaker trainee in the zoo. Therefore, he grew up with the elephants, as he himself puts it.

In 1997, DR-program 'Behind the scenes in the zoo' spoke with a younger Paw Gosmer about the job as an elephant caretaker:

The day has also been special for caretaker Paw Gosmer. He retired from the zoological garden two months ago due to poor health. Therefore, he speaks now on his own behalf.

- Elephants are extremely intelligent animals, and therefore they become something for one. They challenge a lot of quality that we humans could learn something from.

Paw Gosmer washes one of the elephants in Aalborg Zoo's outdoor enclosure. Until today, Aalborg Zoo was the only zoo in Denmark with African elephants. (© (Private photo))

Despite the day being filled with sorrow and memories of the elephants that Paw Gosmer has spent so many years with, he believes that Aalborg Zoo made the right decision by no longer wanting elephants.

- The time for elephants in a small zoological garden in a city in Northern Europe has run out, he says.

According to the caretaker, elephants on our latitudes should spend a lot of time indoors because it is too cold for them to swing their trunks around outside for long periods. It requires large stalls, and regardless of what, it would be difficult to offer elephants the same opportunities to express their natural behavior indoors as they can in larger outdoor enclosures.

- I myself have been part of the fight that when elephants no longer belonged in the zoo, they should also be the last.

The job as a caretaker for the elephants was not always safe, said caretaker Thorvald Eggers, who had Håkon the male elephant to look after:

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'Reasonable' to euthanize both elephants

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It was Tanja who had been getting worse and worse over a period. After several examinations, the personnel in Aalborg Zoo had to realize that there was no more to be done.

Therefore, they decided to euthanize her today. Mai was the only one left, but it was also decided that she should be euthanized. For a long time, Aalborg Zoo had considered what should happen if the one elephant suddenly became alone.

- If you think about animal welfare, it was the most reasonable thing to euthanize them both. Elephants are a herd animal, and we had to deal with two animals here who had been together since they were very young.

Both elephants were in their forties, and Mai had also started to show signs of aging. She had, among other things, arthritis, and one of the reasons she couldn't be moved to another zoo was her age, according to Aalborg Zoo.

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