Elephant starving in Venezuela zoo becomes symbol of economic crisis in once-wealthy country
An elephant is starving to death because the zoo where she lives cannot afford to feed her and will not accept donations, the Daily Mail reports.
Ruperta is a gaunt figure in the elephant enclosure at Caricuao Zoo in the Venezuelan capital Caracas.
At 46 she should have around two decades of life left but she now looks on the verge of death.
Head of Venezuela's National Parks Institute Marlene Sifontes said: “There is food, but there is not enough variety.
“They are feeding her only with auyama (a kind of pumpkin) and papaya, but it is not covering what she really needs.”
Ruperta's story and pictures were shared online, which brought dozens of well-wishers rushing to the zoo with food for her.
But zoo bosses turned it down, saying they could not accept donations for fear of malicious people giving unsafe or even poisoned material.