The Denver Zoo euthanized a Bactrian camel last week because of the animal’s declining quality of life, largely due to its older age and chronic arthritis, the zoo said.
Padme, a 19-year-old Bactrian camel at the Denver Zoo, was born at Denver Zoo in 2003. Because Padme’s mother wasn’t interested in raising her, she was hand-raised by zookeepers.
The zoo says she had a close relationship with her keepers and “enjoyed getting attention”.
“After witnessing a significant decline in her quality of life due to issues of advanced age and chronic arthritis, Denver Zoo animal care and veterinarian staff agreed that all options to keep Padme comfortable and happy for the long-term had been exhausted,” the zoo .
Denver Zoo says that Padme passed peacefully in the presence of her animal care team.
The zoo has two other Bactrian camels, juveniles Hagrid and Sprout.
Bactrian camels can live up to 40 years, though the average lifespan ranges between 20 and 40 years.
Padme was a month and a half away from her 20th birthday, the zoo wrote online.
