The elephant Pupy is the last of her kind remaining in the former Buenos Aires zoo, now Ecoparque. There are only a few days left before the animal is transferred to a sanctuary in Brazil, where she will be able to live with her peers in greater freedom.
Pupy has been in the City of Buenos Aires since 1993, where she shared space with Kuky, her habitat companion, who passed away in October of last year. How they are training the animal for her trip to Mato Grosso.
The elephant Pupy will finally leave Ecoparque
After more than 30 years in captivity, the work to prepare the elephant for the trip was left in the patient hands of the Ecoparque workers.
Pupy will be moved to a sanctuary in Brazil.
As reported by La Nación, it took five days for Pupy to familiarize herself with the crate in which she will travel, among many other issues.
According to the same media outlet, the director of the Elephant Sanctuary, Scott Blaise, a recognized specialist in elephant handling, worked during those days applying his persuasive techniques for Pupy to decide.
Pupy’s destination
Pupy will travel inside an iron structure, in which she was trained, to the Elephant Sanctuary in Brazil, located in Las Lomadas de Chapada dos Guimarães.
There, she will be reunited with Mara, who also came from the former zoo, and with whom she shared an enclosure at Ecoparque, along with Guillermina, Rana, Bambi, and Maia. All of them are Asian elephants, rescued from circuses and zoos in different countries in Latin America.
When will Pupy travel
Although everything is practically ready, there is still no confirmed travel date. It was reported that this will depend on when Pupy feels confident to embark on the journey.
The original idea was for the 35-year-old elephant to travel alongside Kuky, and the permits had even been obtained, but unfortunately, Kuky passed away before being able to prepare.
“She needs to gain a little more confidence when staying in the crate with the rear door closed,” they wrote from the sanctuary in the daily update they provide on their YouTube channel and social media.
“The caretakers are doing everything possible to keep her entertained, using some of her favorite snacks, gently brushing her face, and playing some games to keep her spirits up,” they added.
During the 2700-kilometer journey, which will also have scheduled stops, Pupy will be accompanied by her caretakers, veterinarians, the Sanctuary director Blais, and the Ecoparque director, Ramiro Reyno.
The elephant will live with her peers.
In addition, a specialized technical team from the Franz Weber Foundation (FFW) will join: with Tomás Sciolla, director of the Equidad Sanctuary and advisor on zoo conservation and transformation; Johanna Rincón, a wildlife veterinarian specialist, and Federico Sordo, the foundation’s videographer, who will document the process.
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