Beloved Irma (53), the Netherlands’ oldest elephant, has passed away

Sadly, the Blijdorp Zoo recently lost one of its favourite residents; Irma the elephant has passed away, but not before living up to the impressive age of 53.

Originally hailing from Denmark, this friendly tusked creature arrived at Rotterdam’s Blijdoorp Zoo back in 1975 with financial support from the Friends of Blijdorp association, Rijnmond.nl reports.

Sadly, as a Diergaarde Blijdorp spokesperson mentions, Irma had faced some health struggles for the last couple of years, resulting in an alarming weight loss, joint problems, missing teeth, and an introverted personality. 😔

Irma’s legacy

By all accounts, Irma lived an adventurous life, making national headlines in 1984 when she birthed a healthy calf called Bernhardine — the first baby elephant ever born in a Dutch zoo.

READ MORE | Dierentuinen: 10 best zoos in the Netherlands

Not only that, but Bernhardine was the first instance of a baby elephant born in captivity anywhere, which took the world by storm.

After her passing, Irma has left an extensive family tree of offspring behind — that is, six children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, to be exact. 🐘

A difficult decision

It’s safe to say this lovable elephant will be missed. Zookeeper Kasper Willebrandts, who cared for Irma over a decades-long companionship, says letting her go in order to put her out of her misery “was not an easy decision”.  

Translation: “Elephant Irma passed away at the respectable age of 53. For welfare reasons, it was decided in close consultation between the vet and the caregivers that the time had come to put her to sleep, a difficult but well-considered decision.”

After a goodbye ceremony that took place last week, Irma’s body was transported to Utrecht University for an autopsy, and her remains might be studied for educational reasons.

Now, the rest of the inhabitants at the zoo have to get used to the absence of their “leader”, mother, and grandmother. Rest in peace, sweet Irma. 🐘🧡

How do you feel about Irma’s death? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature Image:Freepik
Ellen Ranebo
Ellen Ranebo
As someone half Swedish and half Irish who has lived in the Netherlands, the UK, and attended an American School, Ellen is a cocktail of various nationalities. Having had her fair share of bike accidents, near-death experiences involving canals, and miscommunications while living here (Swedish and Dutch have deceptively similar words with very different meanings), she hopes to have (and document) plenty more in future.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related posts

Latest posts

Dutch Quirk #32: Eat a lot of very questionable snack food

The Dutch may not have a world-renowned cuisine, but they sure have a — should we say unique? — snack assortment. If you're ever...

11 Dutch songs to learn the language (and culture!) 

You could say that listening to Dutch music for the first time is like taking your first sip of wine. It’s a taste that...

5 ways ING makes banking easy for parents, kids and teens

Money makes the world go round — you know it, your parents know it, and maybe your children even know it. And that’s why teaching...

It's happening

Upcoming events

The latest Dutch news.
In your inbox.