Quality of life in animals

Animal welfare is paramount at Beekse Bergen. Animals in zoos often live to be older than their wild counterparts because of proper amounts of healthy food, medical care and the safe environment we provide for them. However, old age is often accompanied by ailments.

To prevent suffering and provide a good quality of life, the animal caretakers and veterinarian continuously monitor the animals' behavior. The animals' weight is also closely monitored and vital functions are checked regularly.

Sometimes, however difficult, it must be concluded that the time has come to put an animal down. This is done in close consultation with the animal caretakers and veterinarian.

For both steppe fox Swift and cheetah Sara, that moment came recently. With the death of the very elderly Swift, the collection of steppe foxes in Safaripark has come to an end. Whether that will change in the future is still unclear.

You may remember Sara from the unique double birth and adoption that took place in 2021. The cheetah gave birth to four cubs in the summer of that year, exactly one day before cheetah Kate gave birth to triplets. Sara's declining health prevented her from caring for her cubs. One of the cubs died shortly after birth. The three other cubs were adopted by Kate.

Want to read more? And always stay up to date with the latest animal news and updates from now on? Then subscribe here in for the Beekse Bergen newsletter.