2009 Top Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants

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2009 Top Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants

List documents devastating consequences of keeping elephants in North American

zoos.

 

San Rafael, Calif. - The 2009 list of the Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants, released

today by In Defense of Animals (IDA), exposes the hidden suffering of elephants

in zoos. In its sixth year, the list highlights how confinement of these giants

to tiny enclosures wreaks havoc on their physical and psychological health and

leads to premature death for many. For the first time, the list includes a

Canadian entry, the Toronto Zoo.

 

India took the lead internationally last year when it stunned the zoo world by

banning elephants in all zoos. Authorities cited problems common to most zoos,

such as lack of space, poor breeding, and the absence of any positive effect on

elephant conservation.

 

In contrast to India's progressive leadership, North American zoos remain mired

in the past, denying the devastating impacts of zoo captivity on elephants,

sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into woefully inadequate exhibit

renovations, and clinging to archaic and cruel circus-style training methods.

The expert testimony in federal court of Mike Keele, the Association of Zoos and

Aquariums' elephant group head, on behalf of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum &

Bailey Circus and its brutal elephant handling practices is a mark of just how

out of step with progressive elephant care and advocacy most zoos have become.

 

" The Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants list shines a spotlight on the terrible

suffering of elephants in zoos, " said IDA president Elliot Katz, DVM. " It's time

for North American zoos to join India in recognizing that Earth's largest land

mammals don't belong in urban zoos which lack the space and complex natural

conditions elephants need. Zoos must follow the lead of the two U.S. sanctuaries

that provide elephants with vast acreage in natural habitats and a far superior

quality of life. "

 

IDA's 2009 Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants List:

 

1. San Antonio Zoo (Texas) - Two's really a crowd at this zoo - What could be

worse than displaying a solitary elephant? Answer: Confining two elephants in a

pitifully small and unnatural exhibit that's unfit for one, the mis-named Lucky.

While keeping Lucky in solitary confinement for more than two years is

incredibly cruel, acquiring another elephant for a still-inadequate " herd " of

two is even worse. Elephants need room to roam as well as companionship. In the

wild, these highly social animals live in large extended families that traverse

enormous home ranges measuring hundreds of square miles, but the San Antonio Zoo

would cram two elephants, who may or may not get along, into about half an acre.

Adding to the ridiculous plan, the zoo intends to build a new exhibit for

African elephants, so Lucky, and any other Asian elephant, would have to leave

when it's done. The San Antonio Zoo should retire Lucky – who has spent the last

47 years of her life on display – to a spacious, natural-habitat sanctuary that

can far better meet her need for space and companionship. This is the San

Antonio Zoo's third appearance on IDA's Ten Worst Zoos list; it holds the number

one spot for the second straight year. Read more about the San Antonio Zoo

<http://www.helpelephants.com/san_antonio_zoo.html> . - See video of Lucky

<

.

 

2.Toronto Zoo (Canada) - Deadliest zoo for elephants - Elephants are dying at an

unprecedented rate at the Toronto Zoo. In less than four years, four elephants

have died prematurely – two in 2009. None lived beyond age 40, even though

elephants have a natural lifespan of 60-70 years. Their deaths corroborate the

results of a 2008 study published in the journal Science showing that elephants

in zoos die decades sooner than their counterparts in protected wild or

semi-wild situations. It's no surprise when you consider a zoo like Toronto,

which lacks the space, natural conditions, and especially the climate elephants

need to thrive. No amount of money the zoo spends in renovations (it's proposing

a $40 million overhaul) and no amount of care for the elephants can compensate

for its inadequate conditions and frigid temperatures that force elephants

indoors into tiny spaces during the long winter. The Toronto Zoo's atrocious

record of premature elephants deaths will only come to an end when it shuts down

its elephant display. The Toronto Zoo's appears for the first time on IDA's Ten

Worst Zoos for Elephants list. Read more about the Toronto Zoo

<http://www.helpelephants.com/toronto_zoo_fact_sheet.html> . - See video of Tara

before she died <

.

 

3.Honolulu Zoo (Hawaii) - No paradise for pachyderms - A Honolulu Zoo spokesman

last year said that its elephants " are being cared for better than they would

have been in their natural habitat. " We think the elephants Mari and Vaigai

would vehemently disagree with that statement. Everything about the zoo's

antiquated elephant exhibit is wrong: it crams two of the world's largest land

mammals into a mere 6,000 square feet; lack of space for healthy movement is

causing recurrent and painful foot disorders; keepers use circus-style training

that relies on the use of cruel bullhooks; and it's taken more than 10 years to

renovate the exhibit – which still is not done and would provide not even an

acre of space. Mari and Vaigai should be released to a sanctuary that can

provide them with a good quality of life, not broken promises. This is the

Honolulu Zoo's first appearance on IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants list. See

video of the Honolulu Zoo elephants performing tricks and repetitively swaying,

an abnormal behavior not seen in wild elephants

<

.

 

4.Reid Park Zoo (Arizona) - Time to ride off into the sunset - Several years

ago, the zoo refused to relocate its elephants, Connie and Shaba, to a

sanctuary, at no cost to the zoo or Tucson taxpayers. Instead, the zoo said it

would build a new exhibit, to be funded in part by a multi-million dollar bond

measure. Last week, the zoo announced that lack of funds has indefinitely

postponed renovation of its tiny elephant exhibit, leaving Connie and Shaba

stuck in a measly one-third of an acre yard. Both elephants suffer from health

problems caused by horribly inadequate conditions. Connie has endured painful

chronic foot abscesses since at least 1996. At one point, she had an infection

in every nail on her feet. Shaba also has a history of foot disorders, which

began shortly after she arrived at the zoo at age two. Foot disease is a common

cause of death in captive elephants because they do not have the space they need

for healthy movement and soft, natural surfaces that promote foot and joint

health. A 2006 IDA survey found that 62 percent of elephants in U.S. zoos suffer

foot disease, while 42 percent endure joint disorders. Abnormal behaviors such

as Connie's repetitive swaying only exacerbate these problems. Lack of space,

the misery caused by foot disease, and the zoo's failure to provide better

conditions call for bringing an immediate end to the elephants' suffering and

the zoo's elephant exhibit. This Reid Park Zoo appears for the first time on

IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants list. See video of the Reid Park Zoo

<http://www.youtube.com/user/ThoughtfulNow#p/a/u/1/mDD7BhGAcD0> .

 

5.Houston Zoo (Texas) - You call this a conservation message? - At a time when

Asian elephants are struggling to survive in the wild, the Houston Zoo should be

sending the public a serious message that instills respect for this highly

endangered species. Instead, in December the Houston Zoo chose cheap

exploitation, putting a holiday wreath atop the elephant Methai's head and

offering $40 photo sittings with her. Rather than foster respect, the zoo showed

that it's okay to use an elephant as a prop for holiday greeting cards in a

shameless photo op more appropriate for a roadside attraction than a major urban

zoo. The public wouldn't be quite so amused if they knew that Methai is

subjected to cruel, circus-style training and controlled with a sharp steel

bullhook to ensure she " behaves. " This frivolous photo op is even more

inappropriate when you consider that the Houston Zoo is a deadly serious place

for elephants, being a hot spot for a lethal elephant virus that claimed the

lives of six elephants. None of the 14 elephants born at Houston are alive

today. This is the Houston Zoo's third appearance on IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for

Elephants list. See video of the zoo's male elephant Thailand repetitively

swaying <

.

 

6.Topeka Zoo (Kansas) - Time for a fresh start - With last fall's exposé of

horrific animal deaths and the zoo director's resignation, the spotlight is now

on elephants Tembo and Sunda, who suffer chronic health problems, including

serious foot disease, and display abnormal behaviors such as aggression and

repetitive swaying. Sunda shows " deterioration of digits " (bones) in one front

foot, a potentially fatal condition caused by lack of space and standing on hard

surfaces. The elephants share less than three-quarters of an acre of space and

are confined indoors in tiny stalls for long periods during Topeka's long,

frigid winters. (Wild elephants walk tens of miles a day and are active for 20

out of 24 hours in tropical climates.) A city spokesperson told the media: " The

elephant yard is what it is… we're providing the best exhibit that we can within

the limited space that we have at that site. " When " the best we can " causes this

kind of suffering, it isn't nearly enough. The zoo must retire Tembo and Sunda

to a spacious sanctuary, where conditions are far kinder for Sunda's ailing feet

and both elephants can live a life closer to what nature intended for them. The

Topeka Zoo appears on IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants list for the second

time. See video of the Topeka Zoo <

.

 

7.Oregon Zoo - Birds of a Feather Stick Together - Experts agree that elephants

suffer in circuses, where they are cruelly controlled with a bullhook, a

steel-tipped device similar to a fireplace poker used to prod, jab and beat

elephants – including innocent babies – into compliance. But that didn't stop

deputy zoo director Mike Keele from testifying as a paid expert witness for

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in a federal lawsuit over the circus'

inhumane practices. (The suit was dismissed without addressing the abuses.)

Maybe that's because the zoo uses the same circus method to control its

elephants, even though this cruel method has been rejected by about half of U.S.

zoos. By its very design, the bullhook is meant to cause pain and discomfort and

its use is usually hidden from zoo-goers. In fact, while Oregon Zoo keepers

trained the baby Samudra with the bullhook the windows in the elephant exhibit's

public viewing area reportedly were covered up. The zoo may be planning big

changes to its elephant exhibit, supported by millions in taxpayer money, but

until it ends the use of bullhooks it will never be humane for elephants. New

director Kim Smith must take the zoo in a more progressive direction and end

this disgraceful treatment of the elephants. The Oregon Zoo makes IDA's Ten

Worst Zoos for Elephants list for the third time. See video of the Oregon Zoo

<video not available>.

 

8.Bronx Zoo (New York) - Never put off until tomorrow what you should do today -

Four years ago, the Bronx Zoo announced plans to close its elephant exhibit when

one or more of the inhabitants dies. The president of the Wildlife Conservation

Society in charge of zoo operations cited elephants' preference for herds of at

least a half-dozen, and the difficulty of introducing unfamiliar elephants.

Having acknowledged that the elephants' needs are not being met, it is time to

retire them now. Maxine, Patty and Happy – who are all nearing age 40 and have

spent more than 30 years on display before the public – are held in conditions

that fail to meet the needs of these tropical giants. This includes spending the

better part of the freezing New York winter confined indoors, just so visitors

can grab a brief glimpse of one or two of them (reportedly the elephants are not

all exhibited together due to incompatibility) as they zoom past in a tram

during warmer weather. ?Considering the zoo's budget troubles that led to

exhibit closures last year, it would be practical as well as humane to retire

these elephants to a sanctuary now. The Bronx Zoo appears for the first time on

IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants list. See video of the Bronx Zoo

<

.

 

9.Toledo Zoo (Ohio) -The lonely life of bull elephants - " Baby " Louie, the

Toledo Zoo's star attraction, is about to get hit with the hard reality of a

bull's life in a zoo. The zoo is constructing a new barn for Louie, who turns

seven this year, meaning that his days with mother Renee are numbered. While

male elephants eventually leave their wild herds, it's not until about age 14,

and they are always in contact with other elephants. In zoos, males as young as

one year old have been separated from their mothers and shipped to other

facilities. Louie can expect what is standard for bull elephants in most zoos: a

solitary life in a tiny exhibit, separated from other elephants except for

breeding. If natural breeding does not work, he'll become a sperm donor,

constantly subject to invasive " extraction " procedures. While Louie presumably

will stay in Toledo, that's not true for other males born there in the future

who would be " sold or loaned " to other facilities, according to the zoo. Young

males need interaction with other elephants to ensure healthy social

development, yet more than half of zoos with male elephants hold just one. In

fact, the majority of zoos don't hold bulls at all. Still, zoos continue to

breed elephants even though it is creating a growing surplus of unwanted males.

It's a lonely life ahead for Louie. This is the Toledo Zoo's first appearance on

IDA's Worst Zoos for Elephants list.

 

10. Brookfield Zoo (Illinois) - The replaceable Elephant - In most zoos,

elephants are treated as interchangeable units – swapped, sold, loaned and

replaced. Moves are not dictated by the elephants' complex physical,

psychological and social needs but by a zoo's need to fill an open slot or add

to its " collection. " After the deaths of two elephants last year, the Brookfield

Zoo is again searching for a replacement elephant. Affie, who died just as she

turned 40 (a natural lifespan for elephants is 60-70 years), was quickly

replaced with Joyce as a cage-mate for the lone Christy. Then Christy died,

leaving Joyce alone. The zoo intends to acquire yet another elephant, but is

that really what's best for Joyce? All this elephant has known in her life is

upheaval – the traumatic separation from her wild family as a one year old, then

being repeatedly shipped around the country for circus shows and failed breeding

attempts. Her life is nothing like that of wild elephants, who enjoy family

stability, with female offspring remaining with their mothers for life. Joyce

deserves to live in a large social group, form lasting bonds with elephants whom

she chooses, and enjoy year-round outdoor access in a spacious natural

environment – something this zoo can't give her but a sanctuary can. The

Brookfield Zoo appears for the first time on IDA's Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants

list.

 

Worst Zoos for Elephants – Hall of Shame

 

IDA's announces two new inductees to the Worst Zoos for Elephants Hall of Shame

– a special category for repeat offenders that have made little or no progress

improving conditions for elephants. Past Hall of Shame inductees include

Dickerson Park Zoo (Missouri), El Paso Zoo (Texas), St. Louis Zoo (Missouri),

and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (California).

 

1.Los Angeles Zoo (California)

The Los Angeles Zoo has a terrible history of 14 elephant deaths, but that

didn't stop it from charging ahead with a wasteful $42 million elephant exhibit

that still will be too small for elephants. The zoo misled city officials into

supporting the project by distorting the truth and even covering up a U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA) stipulated fine for failure to provide adequate

and timely veterinary care in the 2006 death of the elephant Gita – critical

information that may have changed the outcome of the city council's vote to

continue displaying elephants at the zoo. The zoo also violated California state

law when it withheld information requested by IDA regarding the USDA fine. The

zoo's lone elephant, Billy, continues to suffer in cruel solitary confinement

and display abnormal repetitive head bobbing, a sign of psychological distress.

Read more about the L.A. Zoo <http://www.helpelephants.com/la_zoo.html> . See

video of Billy <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEKozfD4jgk> .

 

2. Woodland Park Zoo (Washington)

A deadly elephant breeding program, intense confinement and a host of

captivity-induced ailments put this zoo – where the elephants are confined in an

outdated barn for 17 hours a day, 7 days a week, 7 months a year due to the

cold, wet Seattle weather – in IDA's Hall of Shame. Chai, Bamboo and Watoto are

held in roughly an acre of space divided into smaller yards (Watoto, an African

elephant, and Bamboo, an Asian, don't get along and must be kept separate),

where they suffer foot disease and arthritis, abnormal behaviors such as

repetitive swaying and rocking, and breeding disorders including early

infertility. A lethal elephant herpes virus that mainly strikes captive

elephants killed six-year-old Hansa in 2007 and remains a serious threat to any

elephant born at the zoo in the future, yet it continues to subject Chai to

repeated invasive artificial insemination procedures. Read more about the

Woodland Park Zoo <http://www.helpelephants.com/woodland_zoo.html> . - See video

demonstrating how zoos send the wrong message to the public about elephants'

behavior. People think Chai is " dancing, " but her behavior

<

indicates psychological distress.

 

See a list of all the zoos inducted into IDA's Worst Zoos for Elephants Hall of

Shame. <http://www.helpelephants.com/worst_zoos_hall_of_shame_2010.html>

 

In Defense of Animals issues its Top Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants list annually.

IDA is an international animal rescue and advocacy organization based in San

Rafael, CA.