Daily care for Choco, an elderly black Goat

Inokashira Park Zoo keeps three Goat in its animal barn. Two are white twin siblings of Goat breed, and the remaining one is a black male named "Choco."

Choco was born on October 17, 2008, making her 17 years old. The average lifespan of Goat is said to be around 12 years, so considering that, she is quite old. Choco has a very glossy coat and at first glance she may not look old, but lately she has been needing care in various ways.

Lately, there have been days when he leaves food uneaten, so we are paying attention to his weight loss and other concerns. One of the reasons he leaves food uneaten is the deterioration of his oral condition due to old age. As he gets older, he loses teeth, his jaw muscles gradually weaken, and his bite becomes misaligned.

Normally, Goat ruminate repeatedly, grinding even tough grass with their teeth to digest it. However, Choco's mouth is not in good condition, so she cannot grind grass properly. Therefore, we finely chop hay and fresh grass in a shredder to make it easier for her to eat. Furthermore, to ensure nutritional balance, we also feed her herbivore pellets, hay cubes (hay shaped into cubes) soaked in water, cabbage, apples, and boiled carrots to help her maintain her weight.

Furthermore, in healthy dogs, hooves are naturally worn down by walking, but as Choco gets older and walks less, her hooves grow too long. When her hooves grow long, she feels discomfort in her feet, and even sitting and standing becomes a chore for her. She is often seen napping while standing. Since she cannot get enough rest while standing, we consulted with a veterinarian and now have her hooves trimmed regularly.

Immediately after trimming, the dog seemed unfamiliar with its suddenly shortened hooves, but once it got used to them, it began walking well and even started sitting down to rest.

Furthermore, to help protect Choco from the winter cold, we dress her in a calf jacket and let her out into the enclosure for a short time in the morning to sunbathe.

Choco has been loved by many as "the black Goat" for the past 15 years since arriving at the zoo. We sometimes receive concerns because she is not out in the enclosure in the afternoons. We will continue to provide careful care tailored to Choco's health so that she can get through the winter in good health and welcome the warm spring.

[Inokashira Park Zoo Zoo and Zoo Exhibition Manager]

(February 22, 2026)