This Spanish zoo helps elephants find peace in their final years, to age gracefully

AT the Barcelona Zoo, a 40-year-old African elephant places her foot through the metal barrier where a zookeeper gently scrubs its sole — the beloved pachyderm gets her "pedicure," along with apple slices every day.

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The treatment is part of the zoo's specialized geriatric care for aging animals that cannot be reintroduced into the wild as zoos world over increasingly emphasize lifelong care.

"Sending them back into nature would be an error," said Pilar Padilla, head of the zoo's mammal care. "It is very likely they wouldn't survive."