Zuze is a female Asian elephant who has lived at Kobe Oji Zoo since 1996. For almost 30 years, she has lived without the close companionship female elephants need.
Zuze has given birth to four calves, but only one survived. Her surviving son, Yuuki, was taken away from her when he was less than six months old, and Zuze was returned to Kobe Oji Zoo without him. Elephant mothers form incredibly strong bonds with their calves, caring for and protecting them for years. Separating Zuze from Yuuki while he was still a baby was extremely early and unnatural, and such a separation can cause significant distress for both mother and calf.
For a brief period years later, Zuze had the companionship of Midori, the now-solitary elephant at Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo. The two reportedly got along well. But after just one year, Midori was returned to her zoo, leaving Zuze without female elephant companionship once again.
As part of Elephants in Japan’s latest investigation into the welfare of solitary elephants in Japan, we returned to Kobe Oji Zoo more than eight years after our original assessment. Sadly for Zuze, little had changed.
An information board at Kobe Oji Zoo introduced Mac and Zuze, who were managed separately to prevent breeding.
A Life of Loss
Zuze’s world remains small and controlled. She was separated from the male elephant Mac, who died in September 2026, by barriers that severely limited their contact. Each afternoon, she is shut inside a barren stall with a hard concrete floor and nothing to keep her occupied. She is not allowed to choose when she goes outside or comes in.
We also found worrying signs of problems with Zuze’s feet. Several of her toenails were overgrown and cracked. Foot problems can become painful and serious for captive elephants, especially when they spend so much of their lives standing and walking on hard surfaces.
Zuze has lost three calves. Her only surviving son was taken from her while he was still a baby. When she finally had the companionship of another female elephant, that was taken away too. Again and again, Zuze has experienced loss and been left alone. Nearly 30 years of her life have already passed this way. We cannot give Zuze those years back, but we can make sure her suffering is no longer ignored.
