Zoo staff: Aging animals a fact of life

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - They are some of the Rio Grande Zoo's most familiar and favorite faces.

Sarabi, the African Lion brought here a couple of years ago to keep big Cosmo company.

Then there's the female gorilla born here more than forty years ago. 

"Moe our Hippo who is very popular with the crowds he's actually over 40 years old," said Zoo Manager Lynn Tupa.

Besides being beloved the three animals have something else in common they are some of the zoo's seriously senior citizens.     

"Our lion, African lion she's also fairly old, she is 18 or 19," Tupa said.

At the ripe old age of 41 the female gorilla is pushing the envelope.

Tupa said gorillas typically only live about 40 years.

"She's got some really bad arthritis but she is doing remarkably well," said Tupa.

Even so, zoo staff are preparing for the inevitable.

It is something they've endured twice in the last six days, first with the death of Ginger.

"We just lost our Capybara and surprisingly she was very popular with a lot of the public," Tupa said.

On Wednesday news that Zaki,  the only Victorian Koala in a zoo in North America had to be put down due to age related issues, he was 18.

"We really form bonds with our animals," said Tupa.

However, just as death is a part of life here at the zoo, so are births and the arrival of new animals like chopper, the baby rhino.

More recently there was Luke, a Queensland Koala who will soon get a female companion so the two can breed.

"In most of our groups of animals that we have here we try to simulate what it's like in the wild, we've got young to middle-aged to old," Tupa said.   

A formula the zoo is counting on to provide a steady stream of new fan favorites.

The aging animals at the zoo get extra care.

From supplements to pain-meds, Tupa said vets keep a close eye on them to make sure they are as comfortable as possible.