BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) 鈥� Pupy the elephant arrived at her new home in a sanctuary in Mato Grosso, Brazil, Friday following a 2,700-kilometer (1,680-mile) converted into an ecological park in Argentina鈥檚 capital where she had spent 30 years in conditions criticized by activists.
The Buenos Aires mayor鈥檚 office said in a statement that the last elephant living in the Argentine city鈥檚 鈥淓copark鈥� arrived at her destination in Brazil鈥檚 Amazon rainforest 鈥渋n perfect health.鈥�
The 35-year-old African elephant was transported in a large iron crate with thick bars strapped to a truck, a mission for which she had been trained for several months. The truck was flanked by vans filled with caretakers and veterinarians.
Pupy (pronounced POOH鈥�-pee in Spanish) did not require sedation during the five-day journey to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, the first refuge for elephants in Latin America located in the municipality of Chapadas Dos Guimar茫es in Mato Gross state, Argentine authorities said.
Upon arriving at the sanctuary, her veterinary escorts opened the door for her, but Pupy was reluctant to leave the iron crate. They said they fed her sugarcane and watermelon, her favorite food, and gave her a bath to refresh her.
Pupy will remain in an outdoor shed while she begins to adapt to her new home, without rushing.
鈥淓verything will happen at her own pace,鈥� said the Buenos Aires mayor鈥檚 office.
In 2016, Buenos Aires launched the transformation of its century-old, urban zoo in Palermo neighborhood into an ecological park for the preservation of biodiversity and the conservation of native species.
As part of this process, more than 1,000 animals 鈥� including lions, tigers, bears and apes 鈥� have been relocated to other countries where they enjoy better living conditions. An emblematic case was that of , who now lives at the Great Ape Center in Wauchula, Florida, where she has adapted and has friends of her own species.
Pupy, who arrived at the Palermo zoo in 1993, is the latest animal transferred from the Buenos Aires ecological park.
Already enjoying the Brazil Elephant Sanctuary are five Asian elephants 鈥� that also ended up in the Argentine preserve鈥檚 enclosure and five years ago made the same highway trip to the refuge, where she now trudges at least 10 kilometers (6 miles) a day.
Pupy will not be reunited with Mara in her new home, 鈥渄ue to the natural differences between the two species,鈥� officials explained. 鈥淭he sanctuary is designed to keep the groups separate, respecting their biological and behavioral needs.鈥�
The Buenos Aires 鈥淓copark鈥� will continue to house animals that, due to age or logistical impossibility, cannot be transferred to another habitat.
The Associated Press
