Daily care for Choco, an elderly black goat who has turned 18.

In February of this year (2026), we introduced the care of Choco (male), an elderly black goat. Choco happily celebrated his 18th birthday on October 17th, 2026. Since the lifespan of a goat is said to be around 12 years, Choco is quite an elderly individual. This time, we will share an update on Choco's summer and recent activities.

Choco loves sunbathing and often relaxes in her favorite sunny spot. However, the recent extreme heat is hard on older goats. In particular, because Choco has black fur, her body heats up much faster in the sun compared to the other white goats.

Therefore, during the summer, Choco was only allowed to spend time outdoors during the relatively cool morning hours. While she was outside, animal keeper took meticulous measures to keep her cool, such as guiding her to the shade and giving her water using a syringe with a tube attached. They also wrapped a towel filled with ice packs around her neck to help her stay outside for as long as possible. Thanks to this care, she was able to survive this year's scorching summer.

Around the same time, Choco's chest started to get chafed and her fur thinned. Because she spends most of her nights sitting up, she was beginning to develop bedsores. So, to prevent it from getting any worse, we applied medication and dressed her in clothes to prevent further chafing. We also placed a cushion mat in her bed to reduce the pressure on the parts of her body that were in contact with the ground.

Thanks to these efforts, we were able to stop the progression of the bedsores. We still sometimes dress her in clothes as a preventative measure. By the way, the clothes she wears are hand-me-down t-shirts from the zoo staff. They are easy to clean and made of a breathable material, so they were perfect for Choco's treatment.

Recently, the condition of his legs has varied from day to day, and there are days when he cannot stand or sit properly on his own. As a result, animal keeper sometimes have to assist him with his movements. At first, he strongly resisted being made to sit, and it sometimes took several people to finally get him to sit and rest.

However, recently Choco seems to have gotten used to things and has become quite cooperative. When Choco really wants to sit down, she entrusts herself to animal keeper and cooperates in sitting down.

I feel that caring for elderly animals requires unique challenges and patience. I carefully observe each animal's changing physical condition and behavior every day, constantly searching for ways to help. I will continue to provide meticulous care so that Choco, who has watched over and supported the zoo for so long, can live as comfortably and healthily as possible.

[Ishigami Inokashira Park Zoo]