Asian zoos must take action to look after their elderly animals, experts warn
Singapore Zoo is one of the few in Asia to tackle the issue, introducing a senior animals’ programme
Kima the cheetah lies unconscious on an operating table while blood samples are taken and a monitor beeps in the background, being treated not for the results of a savage attack, but for the ravages of old age.
As with humans, animal populations in developed countries are living longer, putting a strain on health care resources, with experts warning animal enclosures in Asia are ill-equipped to handle the burden.
“Few zoos are adequately prepared for this,” said Dave Neale, Welfare Director of Animals Asia, adding that the region was well behind the West in addressing the problem. “If an animal does survive to an old age it is likely to suffer within an unsuitable environment due to the lack of such available skills and knowledge.”
Singapore Zoo is one of the few in Asia to tackle the issue: it has introduced a senior animals’ programme, where the elderly get a specialised diet, regular visits from an in-house vet and individually tailored exercise regimes.
If an animal does survive to an old age it is likely to suffer within an unsuitable environment due to the lack of such available skills and knowledge
The scheme began this year and about 100 animals have been signed up. Participants are required to have reached about 80 per cent of their natural lifespan before they are deemed eligible.