The Zoo de Barcelona has lost one of its most beloved residents, the African elephant Yoyo. Although her exact date of birth is unknown, she is believed to have been over 54 years old, far exceeding the life expectancy of this species under human care, which is around 39 years. According to existing records, she was the oldest African elephant in the world.

Yoyo’s health had deteriorated in recent weeks due to issues related to her advanced age. This situation worsened and could not be reversed despite the efforts and care provided by the veterinary team and keepers at Zoo de Barcelona. 

Now, the Zoo’s technical team, together with staff from the Veterinary Pathology Diagnostic Service at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, will follow the established protocol for such cases and share all the information with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) conservation programme, of which Zoo de Barcelona is a member. 

Zoo de Barcelona is also providing special attention to Susi and Bully, the other two elephants who lived with Yoyo. Together, they formed a close-knit group.

First Deputy Mayor and BSM President Laia Bonet expresses her condolences and highlights ‘Zoo de Barcelona's role as an international leader in the care and welfare of elderly elephants, as well as its work in conserving this highly endangered species. Yoyo received the utmost attention at all times from Zoo staff, who improved her wellbeing by providing the care she needed.’ 

‘The Zoo de Barcelona family and the entire team of professionals will always remember her as an endearing elephant, strong-willed, yet nurturing and a role model for her companions, Susi and Bully,’ says Antoni Alarcon, the director of the Zoo de Barcelona. ‘She was deeply loved by visitors and all of us.’ 

Zoo de Barcelona's role as a sanctuary for rescued animals

Yoyo was part of the group of animals housed at the Zoo de Barcelona as a result of an intervention by the authorities. For over three decades, the Zoo, as a member of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), has been carrying out this work in partnership with the Ministry for the Ecological Transition. 

The expertise of the Zoo staff and its CITES affiliation make it an ideal facility for housing animals rescued by the authorities, whether due to illegal trade or other circumstances, as in Yoyo’s case.

The elephant arrived at the Zoo in 2009 following an intervention by the Government of Catalonia at the former RioLeón Safari. Before that, she had been in a circus, which left her with physical and psychological injuries that required extensive dedication and specialised care from Zoo staff. Over time, these injuries improved, as did the elephant’s demeanour.

Yoyo lived with two other elderly elephants, Susi and Bully, who had arrived at the Zoo under similar circumstances. The three were an inseparable group. The Zoo team supported them by strengthening their social skills and carefully timing their integration. 

The Sahel-Savannah Space, the elephant sanctuary at Zoo de Barcelona  

In 2013, Zoo de Barcelona moved the elephants to a new space replicating the Sahel savannah. This space was created using principles that promote animal welfare. The Sahel-Savannah area features, for instance, eight-meter-high feeding stations, allowing the elephants to forage much in the way they would in the wild. The space includes natural substrates, a mud wallow, branches, and freely accessible climate-controlled shelter facilities with natural light.