Turtle Bernhard: Krefeld's oldest zoo animal is 125 years old!

Turtle Bernhard: Krefeld's oldest zoo animal is 125 years old!

At the proud 125 years, the giant turtle Bernhard is not only the oldest zoo animal in the Krefeld zoo, but could also be the oldest zoo animal in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Bernhard has lived in Krefeld since 1960 and has inspired numerous visitors over the years. However, little is known about his attitude before the time in the Krefeld zoo. Despite his old age, he is not yet one of the oldest of his kind, since giant turtles can be up to 160 years old. That makes him a "young" representative of his habitat, so to speak.

In addition to Bernhard, the approximately 100 -year -old Elly lives in the Krefeld Zoo. Together with the 55 -year -old Matilda, they are the oldest animals in the zoo. While Bernhard and Elly probably came to the zoo by an animal dealer in the 1960s, it was found that Bernhard's tank is flat, which may be due to a lack of nutrition in his youth. These details provide an exciting insight into life and the challenges of animals in human care.

other old zoo animals in NRW

The list of the oldest zoo animals in NRW is also listed by other remarkable animals. In second place is the 63-year-old Orang-Utan Kasih from the Zoom Erlebniswelt in Gelsenkirchen. Kasih lost an eye in an incident with a male, but is well cope with this disability. The 59-year-old elephant lady Tefi from the all-weather zoo Münster takes third place. These animals are not only impressively old, but also show how well they are cared for in their respective environments.

Another older animal that recently attracted attention is the hippo Ernie, also 55 years old, who celebrated her birthday with a salad cake. Ernie has only a few teeth, but his teeth are cleaned daily, which shows that zoo animals often enjoy a longer lifespan compared to nature. In many cases, this is the result of better care, less stress and optimal nutrition.

life expectancy of zoo animals

In general, the life expectancy of zoo animals surprises and varies greatly depending on the type. While Flamingos are in the end of 50 in Cologne Zoo, some bird species, such as parrots, can live 60 to 70 years old and, in rare cases, even over 100 years. Smaller songbirds, on the other hand, often only live for two to three years. In large wild animals, the tendency can be observed that they exceed old age limits in captivity - in contrast to dog types, in which larger races age faster.

Bernhard, who loves to be scratched on the neck and showered with lukewarm water, prefers Matilda society while Elly prefers to be alone. These personal preferences of the animals clarify that there are also individual needs and characters in the zoo that are known to the nurses.