December 13, 2023
An independent assessment of Lucy last fall has confirmed the 48-year-old Asian elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo continues to do well despite ongoing health issues.
Two independent elephant veterinarians, Dr. Frank Goeritz and Dr. Thomas Hildebrand, returned to assess Lucy in October 2023. Drs. Goeritz and Hildebrandt previously assessed Lucy in 2022 as part of the panel sponsored by the animal advocacy organization Free the Wild. Their main focus this year was to perform a medical examination to re-evaluate Lucy’s general health condition and compare it to the results reported last year. While they confirmed her health has improved, they advised that Lucy is not fit to travel. She will remain at the Edmonton Valley Zoo where she has been cared for by a team of dedicated animal professionals for more than 46 years.
“We are pleased that Dr. Goeritz and Dr. Hildebrandt were able to return to assess Lucy again. Their insights are invaluable to Lucy's health and well being,” said Edmonton Valley Zoo Director Gary Dewar. “It is important to be able to compare this year’s assessment with their findings from last year and allow them to follow up on the medical issues they identified in 2022. Our team works very hard to ensure Lucy continues to receive excellent care.”
Like last year, the veterinarians performed a blood gas analysis test, which showed once again that after minimal physical activity, Lucy had very severe hypoxemia and hypercapnia—which is low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels in her blood and in her tissues. Lucy breathes solely from her mouth, which is unique to her compared to other elephants.
The uterine tumour, a leiomyoma, discovered in 2022 has regressed in size, likely as a result of the recommended vaccine treatment. Leiomyomas are quite common in elephants who have never given birth. The vaccine treatment also appears to have contributed to the improvement of Lucy’s overall general health condition. Changes in Lucy’s diet have resulted in her losing 625 kilograms (1,375 pounds) over the past year. The veterinarians noted her body condition has noticeably improved and that her feet are now in excellent condition given her age. They stated that her overall foot health including nails and cuticles, has improved.
However, despite the positive changes in her health, Lucy’s respiratory condition continues to be a challenge and makes her not able to travel.
Drs. Goeritz and Hildebrandt clearly state that Lucy should remain at the Edmonton Valley Zoo due to her severe respiratory problem which leads to rapid hypoxemia, hypercapnia and increase of lactate values. Stress and even very mild physical activity brings Lucy in an anaerobic metabolic status, which can lead to total decompensation of her respiration and hence general metabolism.
“We will continue to invest in providing a varied enrichment program that focuses on promoting species specific behavioural opportunities through cognitive, occupational and physical enrichments. We will also continue to provide Lucy with a high level of interaction with her care team while further specialising her care program to reflect her changing age and health status” Dewar said.
Lucy came to the zoo as a two-year-old orphan in 1977. Over the years, the zoo has modified its care plan to meet Lucy’s changing needs. Her gradual retirement from public activities began in 2020, and the zoo continues to evolve its elephant management program to accommodate Lucy’s needs as she ages. Going forward, the zoo will continue to monitor Lucy’s weight and overall health, and follow up on the medical, infrastructure and husbandry expert recommendations.
To this end, capital funding was secured from Edmonton City Council to support several improvements including increased access to indoor and outdoor space, additional enrichments, improvements to the HVAC system, and UV lighting. Planning for this work is well underway. A comprehensive audit of her facilities has been performed. Air quality testing was performed this summer in her indoor facilities, and will be performed again in the winter. New substrate media for her flooring was researched and is being piloted. Additional cameras and an elephant trunk rest system have been installed in her main enclosure. New enrichments have been introduced including large rocks in her yard and an automatic hay feeder.
An annual, independent assessment is required by Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) in order to maintain Lucy in Edmonton as a single elephant. She has been assessed yearly by outside experts for more than a decade.
For more information on Lucy, including links to the written veterinary assessment report and a video, please visit
edmonton.ca/lucy.
