Katka, the oldest African elephant living in a European zoological garden, has died at the Gda\u0144sk Zoo after a period of declining health, officials announced on Wednesday, June 17. <\/p>\n
Representatives of the Gda\u0144sk Zoo announced the death of Katka, a beloved African elephant, on Wednesday, June 17. Described by staff as a gentle giant, Katka had been a member of the zoo\u2019s family for many years.<\/p>\n
In a Facebook post, officials noted that she left behind beautiful memories and an immense amount of love for those who had the fortune of knowing her. The zoo staff expressed deep sorrow at the loss of such a significant resident.<\/p>\n
Katka held the title of the oldest African elephant in European zoological gardens. Before arriving in Gda\u0144sk, she resided in zoos in the Czech Republic and France.<\/p>\n
Recognized for her distinct personality and sharp memory, Katka was famous for understanding commands in three different languages. Her history included a well-publicized incident in 2019, when the four-ton elephant required assistance from firefighters to stand up after being unable to rise on her own.<\/p>\n
In recent weeks, the zoo reported that Katka’s health was deteriorating, with caregivers noting increased difficulty in movement. The staff focused on providing her with comfort and dignity in her final period of life.<\/p>\n
The zoo modified her enclosure to include additional resting spots and supports, while adjusting fencing to facilitate necessary therapeutic care. Employees emphasized that they fought for her health until the very end, dedicating their full efforts to her well-being.<\/p>\n
Established in 1954 in Gda\u0144sk-Oliwa, the Gda\u0144sk Zoo spans approximately 124 hectares within the Tri-City Landscape Park. The facility houses roughly 890 animals representing over 140 species, ranging from mammals to fish.<\/p>\n
As one of the region’s most popular attractions, the zoo remains a major destination for visitors. Last year, the facility welcomed 531,410 guests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Katka, the oldest African elephant living in a European zoological garden, has died at the Gda\u0144sk Zoo after a period of declining health, officials announced on Wednesday, June 17. A Gentle Giant Passes Representatives of the Gda\u0144sk Zoo announced the death of Katka, a beloved African elephant, on Wednesday, June 17. Described by staff as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-expat-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizonews.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizonews.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizonews.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizonews.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizonews.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bizonews.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3368\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizonews.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizonews.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizonews.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}