Susi, one of the best-known elephants at the Barcelona Zoo, died on Friday, January 9, 2026. She belonged to the African elephant species, whose life expectancy is around 70 years. The animal arrived at the zoological park in 2002, being the oldest of the group, after being rescued from a circus where she had suffered mistreatment.

Her death comes shortly after that of Yoyo, another elephant who died in December 2024 at the age of 54. Yoyo had arrived in 2009 to keep Susi company, who had been left alone after the death of Alice, another African elephant, also in 2009. Since elephants are gregarious animals, it is vital that they maintain a social structure based on a matriarchy.

Since 2013, the zoo's elephants have resided in an area designed to replicate the Sahel savanna, following animal welfare criteria. This enclosure includes feeders located eight meters high to encourage the exercise of searching for food, as well as natural substrates, a mud wallow, and heated shelter facilities with natural light.