In the feature film „Pippi in Taka-Tuka Land“ he played the parrot Rosalinda. Now the bird Douglas has died in the Karlsruhe Zoo – in a very old age for Aras.
The known as Pippi Longstocking parrot Rosalinda Ara Douglas and the elephant cow Rani are dead. The two animals died according to the city of Karlsruhe on Saturday at the age of 51 and 63 years. Douglas became known as Rosalinda by appearing in the movie „Pippi in Taka-Tuka Land“ (1970). Rani was considered one of the oldest elephants in Germany.
With Rosalinda and Rani they have lost two animals to which almost all visitors will remember with pleasure, informed the Zoo Karlsruhe on his Facebook page. Rosalinda died of old age. „Even though he had an almost biblical age for an era, it really touched me when he died,“ said zoo director Matthias Reinschmidt. The human bird has spent the last two hours of his life on the parrot expert’s arm.
Inger Nilsson as Pippi Longstocking with the monkey Mr. Nilsson
In the film Douglas performed as Rosalinda Pippi’s father Efraim Longstocking in the dungeon of the Buccaneer fortress society. The mission: espionage. He should listen to the father of the strongest girl in the world – and if he divulged the treasure hiding place, inform the pirates who had captured him.
The Ara came to Karlsruhe in 2016. He was supposed to spend his twilight years in a zoo in Malmo. When the zoo failed to comply with new regulations on the keeping of parrots in 2016, the parrot was threatened with euthanasia. Karlsruhe’s zoo director Reinschmidt then offered a new home for the scarlet macaw.
„Sad weekend for the Karlsruhe Zoo“
At the time, Elefantin Rani had been living in the Baden Zoo for almost 60 years. The elephant cow came on 12 October 1957 as a two-year-old cub as a tomboy from India. Apart from some age-related restrictions such as osteoarthritis in the joints, she was in good health until the end, according to zoo veterinarian Julia Heckmann. On Saturday morning, however, carers Rani found lying in the elephant house.
The elephant cow could not stand up on its own and had been reared with heavy duty cranes and air cushions. The legs of the three-and-a-half ton animal could not have carried the weight anymore. Rani’s circulation failed before a specialist could release her from her suffering. „She was very calm, we heard one last gasp, then I could only determine death,“ Heckmann is quoted.
On the Facebook page of the zoo, the contributions to the death of Rani and Rosalinda were commented hundreds of times within a few hours. A user wrote: „Rest in peace, my dear Rani, I know you all my life and I will miss you very much!“ In another comment it says: „Two such great animals in such a short time, what a sad weekend for the Karlsruhe Zoo.“
