Little Rock Zoo officials explain beloved elephant Sophie’s diagnosis after she enters hospice care

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- Many people who work and visit the Little Rock Zoo are saddened by the news that Sophie the elephant has been placed in hospice care.

“Sophie is one of our most beloved animals here at the Little Rock Zoo,” Little Rock Zoo Director Susan Altrui said.

Sophie came to the Little Rock Zoo because of their expertise in care for geriatric elephants. She had just retired from the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Show, a circus act.

“She came to us about a decade ago with Babe, another elephant that we have here at our zoo,” Altrui said. “Seven years ago, she was diagnosed with a disease called pyometra.”

Despite being diagnosed with the condition, the zoo staff managed to provide prolonged care for her inoperable and incurable chronic uterine infection, which is considered a medical miracle in the field of elephant veterinary medicine.

“Most animals who are diagnosed with this disease, they really only live about a year, and she’s been with us for seven years so that’s really incredible and shows the kind of superior care we give these animals,” Altrui said.

On Monday, Sophie was moved to hospice care due to her pyometra, which has drastically led to a decline in her health over her last stages of life.

“We’ve been able to keep this disease at bay with antibiotics and other treatments, but unfortunately, the disease has caught up with her, and so we are now in a hospice situation,” Altrui said.

The disease has progressed, leading to the development of a firm mass in her belly, lower-than-normal blood protein levels and significant muscle loss.

Sophie is estimated to be 55 to 56 years old and has outlived other Asian elephants. The average life expectancy for a female Asian elephant like Sophie is 47 years old.

Her caretakers work hard to evaluate Sophie’s daily quality of life and ensure that all her needs are met.

“We’re doing everything we can to keep her as comfortable as possible; it’s administering any kinds of pain medications, adding additional bedding in her areas and letting her go in and out of the area whenever she wants to,” Altrui said. “We are letting her kind of guide the way in terms of what happens next.”

Zoo staff evaluate Sophie’s quality of life daily and are considering options such as humane euthanasia or letting her pass on her own.

“You know elephants are highly intelligent,” Altrui said. “She does have Babe who has been with her for many years, and we certainly think that it’s going to be tough on Babe.”

Babe will get to spend time with Sophie’s body to help her mourn the loss of a friend, but until that happens, they are spending their final days enjoying each other’s company.

“You know we don’t know exactly when it will be, but it will be soon that’s why we want to let the public know about this because she is so beloved,” Altrui said.

In the event of Sophie’s passing, the zoo will be closed to the public for a necropsy, a procedure conducted to gain insight into the cause of death and collect samples for research.

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