48-Year-Old Elephant Dies In Venezuelan Zoo From Starvation
An elephant, Ruperta, in Caracas zoo in Venezuela has starved to death after years of not being fed properly. The 48-year-old giant continued to suffer from starvation after the Caracas zoo couldn’t afford to give any more food. Ruperta has become a symbol of Venezuela’s deepening economic crisis, and caused widespread outcry around the world for those who followed Ruperta’s case.
Mexican actor Raul Julia Levy said “Ruperta broke her skull and needed the level of care that Venezuelan authorities could not give her.” Levy has also taken to Twitter, urging the zoo to release the other animals as they cannot care for them.
Señor @NicolasMaduro Ruperta no solo es un símbolo venezolano es un símbolo mundial cuando hace meses dimos a conocer por todo el planeta el martirio y las condiciones a las que ella fue sometida, Ruperta fue asesinada por una causa y le exijo la liberación de los otros animales pic.twitter.com/n4g54qud9t
— RAUL JULIA LEVY (@rauljulialevy) June 13, 2018
In an earlier tweet, Levy compared the living conditions in the zoo to living in a Nazi concentration camp. “[TRANSLATED] The Zoos of Venezuela are the living image of the Nazi concentration camps today it was Ruperta tomorrow it will be the lion lord @NicolasMaduro months ago I offered my foundation to save Ruperta and all the animals please check my request again the offer still stands.”
Los Zoológicos de venezuela son la viva imagen de los campos de concentración nazis hoy fue Ruperta mañana será el león señor @NicolasMaduro hace meses le ofrecí mi fundación para salvar a Ruperta y a todos los animales por favor revise mi petición de nuevo la oferta sigue en pie pic.twitter.com/w7epHNrb8M
— RAUL JULIA LEVY (@rauljulialevy) June 12, 2018
Minister Ramon Velasquez said “We regret Ruperta’s death, she was an icon of Caricuao Zoo.” Velasquez also added that many captive animals only live for an average of 17 years, while Ruperta lived to 48 years of age. Reportedly, more than 50 animals have died in Caracas zoo in similar circumstances in recent years.
