Pupy the elephant traveled over 1,600 miles to her new home – a sanctuary in Mato Grosso, Brazil – where she will be able to live out the rest of her life.
Prior to that, she lived at a zoo in Argentina, which has been critized for its horrible living conditions.
On Friday, the Buenos Aires mayor’s office announced that the last elephant living in the city’s former zoo – now an ecological park – has safely arrived at Elephant Sanctuary Brazill, the first of its kind in Latin America located in Mato Gross state.
The African elephant was placed in a large iron crate, which was then attached to a truck. The truck was then flanked by vans filled with veterinarians and caretakers.
For the move, Pupy had undergone training for several months. Because of this, she did not need to be sedated during the long journey, which spanned five days.
Upon arriving at her new home, her escorts opened the doors of the iron crate but Pupy was hesitant to step outside. It wasn’t until they fed her watermelon and sugarcane, two of her favorite foods, that she felt less reserved.
Her caretakers also refreshed her with a bath, which was much needed after all the traveling.
Pupy, who is 35 years old this year, will stay in an outdoor shed while she gets used to her new home. The Buenos Aires mayor’s office emphasized that everything will happen at her own pace.
From Zoo to Ecological Park
In 2016, the century-old Argentina zoo was turned into an ecological park for the conservation of native species and preservation of biodiversity.
As part of the transformation, many animals including tigers, lions, apes, and bears were given new homes in other countries. For example, Sandra the orangutan now resides in Florida’s Great Ape Center, where she has made friends of her own species.
Pupy, who has lived at the zoo since 1993, is the latest animal to leave the ecopark.
Other animals that cannot be transported to another habitat, either due to logistics or age, will remain at the eco park in Buenos Aires.
Currently at the Brazil Elephant Sanctuary, there are five Asian elephants, including Mara, who worked at a circus for two decades.
Due to differences between Asian and African elephants, however, Pupy will not be living in the same area as the existing group. Officials explained that the elephant sanctuary has been designed to keep the groups separate to respect their behavioral and biological needs.
