Vilja (elephant)
Vilja (* 1949 ; † July 10, 2010 in Stuttgart ) was an Asian elephant who lived in the Stuttgart Wilhelma and was considered one of the public favorites. She became known because of her old age, she was the oldest elephant in Europe.
origin
Vilja's exact origins are unknown, but early photographs suggest that she came from the island of Sumatra . The European studbook for Asian elephants names the year 1949 as the year of birth for Vilja. Vilja came to Stuttgart in 1952 as one of two elephants for an exhibition on the subject of jungle animals and was then bought by the director at the time for 12,000 marks (adjusted for inflation: around 31,000 euros ) Schöchle bought it. Particular characteristics of Vilja were their thick hair, as they have elephants, which come from Sumatra, and the kinked tail.
Last years of life and death
In the summer of 2006 it became known that Vilja had lost part of one of her last molars. According to his keeper, the elephant was already chewing on the last set of teeth.
On January 24, 2008, as a result of a scuffle, Vilja fell into the ditch of the outdoor enclosure and could only be recovered by the fire brigade after several hours . The management of Wilhelma then decided not to give the animal access to its favorite spot close to this ditch. Since the beginning of February 2008, Vilja, whose teeth were apparently no longer sufficient to properly chop the food, lost significant weight and had to be fed with infusions at times. On January 24, 2009, her 60th birthday was celebrated at Wilhelma. On July 10, 2010, Vilja died of cardiovascular failure .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Stud book for Asian elephants, kept by Rotterdam Zoo (viewed on June 14, 2008; PDF; 175 kB)
- ↑ Lady elephant Vilja . Wilhelma. July 13, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
- ↑ Vilja is fit again ( Memento from February 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), Stuttgarter Zeitung online from January 25, 2008
- ↑ A birthday cake for the elephant Vilja ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Klaus Eichmüller: On the death of Vilja: When Vuvuzelas bear grief , Stuttgarter Nachrichten, July 13, 2010, accessed on July 24, 2010
