Ruperta (elephant)
Ruperta (* around 1970 , † 12. June 2018 in Caricuao ) is the name of a female African elephant in the Zoological Garden Caricuao of Caracas . She came to Caracas when the zoo opened in 1977 at the age of seven. In 2017 she was the last individual of the African elephant in Venezuela .
Ruperta achieved fame in March 2017 when international media reported about her underweight during the supply crisis in Venezuela . President Maduro responded and claimed during his regular propaganda broadcasts that the opposition was spreading misinformation about “our beloved Ruperta”: “They are taking advantage of the sympathy of the population and demoralizing our children.” Maduro described the elephant in its emaciated appearance as “old and sick ". Maduro was accordingly accused of dealing with the health of the elephant lady in his political broadcast, but not talking about the internationally sensational "coup d'état from above" that had occurred shortly before.
An expert said that 46-year-old Ruperta is by no means an old animal. When Ruperta's death a year later, the Venezuelan government stated that the animal was above average and that her death was not related to the poor supply situation.
Individual evidence
- ↑ #SOSRuperta: Starving elephant highlights food crisis unfolding across Venezuela , RT, March 30, 2017
- ↑ Venezuelan crisis: Starving elephant become symbol of country's misery , foxnews.com, April 5, 2017
- ↑ Geier über Caracas , Tages-Anzeiger, April 19, 2017; Quote: “... even a practiced denier of reality like Maduro would have been expected that his political Sunday program would revolve around this topic (the supreme court's deprivation of authority of parliament) . But the president talked about elephants. "
- ^ The last of its kind , FAZ, April 13, 2017
- ↑ The death of an elephant as a symbol of Venezuela's crisis. Report on orf.at dated June 12, 2018.