Varda, the oldest Asian elephant at the Ramat Gan Safari, died this week at the age of 66. Varda, who had been a prominent figure at the safari since her arrival in the early 1980s from the Tel Aviv Zoo, was considered the matriarch of the elephant herd.
Sunday morning was filled with loud cries from the Asian elephant enclosure at the Safari. Upon their immediate arrival, the animal caregivers were confronted with a distressing sight: Varda was lying on the ground, surrounded by the rest of the elephant herd.
Hope was initially held that Varda would recover and rise to her feet. However, the subsequent hours proved otherwise. Four elephants, including a young one, strived tirelessly to encourage Varda to stand, using every means at their disposal, pulling and pushing her with their trunks and legs.
Safari staff from all departments joined the attempt to help Varda. The team brought a large cube of hay with a crane to the site, hoping to provide her with some form of support. Despite these efforts, nothing seemed to help. The treatment team even constructed a large mound of dirt intending it to serve as a backrest for Varda, to aid her attempt to stand. But all efforts proved futile.
Ultimately, the Safari team was faced with the most challenging decision any zoo could be forced to make - euthanasia.
Officials explained that an elephant can endure a difficult condition for several days, during which it suffers significant discomfort. In such cases, euthanasia is considered necessary to alleviate their pain.
"We find solace in the fact that we were able to shorten the duration of Varda's helplessness. She was lying on the ground, her breaths steadily becoming heavier and slower than usual. Elephants are unable to lie on the ground vertically. Their weight impedes their ability to breathe," according to Hilla Feldman, the Safari spokesperson.
Following Varda the elephant's final moments, the members of her herd were allowed a chance to bid their farewells. They did so in a manner unique to elephants, expressing their grief through powerful, heartrending cries that left no bystander unmoved. One by one they approached Varda, each extending its trunk toward her in a touching gesture of goodbye.
Varda, as the eldest female, held the position of the herd's matriarch, a role she fulfilled exceptionally well, according to Safari officials. Particularly evident during the nights when the elephants would settle down on their sand beds, Varda would patiently ensure that each member found a spot and lay down before she herself would rest. In instances of nearby disturbances or fireworks, she would raise her trunk, providing a comforting presence for the rest of the herd.
Varda's journey to the Safari began with her departure from the Tel Aviv Zoo, which was shut down in the early 1980s. She was relocated to the Safari alongside Motek ("Sweetheart"), a male elephant who died two years ago. The pair had arrived at the Tel Aviv Zoo in 1962 when they were just young calves. Over the course of their lives, they parented 10 healthy elephants. These offspring, now spread in various zoos across the world, serve as living ambassadors for their magnificent species, which faces the threat of extinction in part due to illegal hunting.