June 20, 2006
Should the Elephants Go?
Earlier this year, Toni, one of the National Zoo's resident elephants, was euthanized after a two-decade-long struggle with arthritis in her legs. While zoo officials maintained that Toni's condition was pre-existent, animal rights activists claimed that the tight quarters of the zoo's Elephant House only worsened her mental and physical health. Though an isolated incident, Toni's death brought to light an issue that has long afflicted zoos across the country -- are certain animals meant to be kept and displayed?
Last week an article in Time took a stab at the issue, noting that elephants tend to react most negatively to zoo life. According to the article, elephants in the wild tend to roam up to 30 miles a day, snacking, bathing, and otherwise interacting with large groups of other elephants. Given the extremely confined space in most elephant habitats, the animals are more likely to be depressed or come down with fatal ailments. States the article:
Living in such confinement, elephants are prone to arthritis, foot problems and even premature death. Billy's [an elephant in the Los Angeles Zoo] head bobbing, they contend, is typical of elephants in distress and probably results from an inadequate physical environment. "I've come to the conclusion after many years that it is simply not possible for zoos to meet the needs of elephants," asserts David Hancocks, an outspoken zoo consultant and former director of the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.Many animal rights activists and zoologists propose that zoos rid themselves of their elephants, and that a few dedicated elephant habitats -- such as the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee -- be created where they can have the space to live happily and healthily.
As much as we'd hate to see the zoo's remaining elephants leave, we think Kandula, Shanthi, and Ambika would be better off somewhere else. The zoo's elephant habitat -- both inside and out -- leaves plenty to be desired, and even though a new habitat is being completed as part of the new Asia Trail, it might benefit the zoo and the elephants to act before another one dies.
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I like animals. They taste great.
I think the National Airport gift shop beat all these activists to the punch. For years they've been calling DC a donkey town with an elephant problem.
If ony we listened more closely to the wisdom of "America! the Gift Shop."
"elephants in the wild tend to roam up to 30 miles a day, snacking, bathing, and otherwise interacting with large groups of other elephants"
elephants in the wild also tend to be shot for their tusks. good luck funding that new "dedicated elephant habitat"
This is weird timing. I just read an article last night on elephants and was just blown away at how sensitive/intelligent they are. Apparently they've been shown to recognize human voices that they haven't heard for a decade. They also remember their dead and visit their gravesites. And they apparently play some type of elephant soccer, where they kick rocks around with each other.
One of the most poignant parts of the article was when it talked about culling elephants - killing them so their population numbers don't grow unsustainably. It mentioned that elephants learned to recognize the sound of helicopters, which park rangers used to find and shoot them, and that they communicated news of culls to other elephant groups living far away.
I can't imagine keeping a creature like that in the zoo in such a small enclosure. Of course, that whole killed-in-the-wild-for-tusks thing is problematic, too.
Does the same rationale hold true for giraffes and gorillas? They always looked to me to be a tad large for their enclosures, as well. They're the kinds of creatures that I don't think can be fully appreciated unless they're running at you at full speed. Seeing them in the zoo is like watching Yo Yo Ma brush his teeth: sure, the arm motion is similar, but it's not really an accurate representation of his value to the world.
Want a zoo-ful of fun for lunch?
Try zoo-roni, you'll love it a bunch!
"Seeing them in the zoo is like watching Yo Yo Ma brush his teeth: sure, the arm motion is similar, but it's not really an accurate representation of his value to the world."
funniest thing ever.
don't worry, they'll be gone by november.
While I do love animals, zoos depress me very much. I realize that there are always hunters and poachers in the wild along with natural predators, but it just doesn't seem right to keep many of these animals in somewhat small enclosures.
Elephants, giraffes, gorillas, tigers, lions and others need space and companionship - the habitats often seem inadequate.
I would much rather see dedicated areas developed such as the above mentioned one in TN to offer these animals more appropriate living space if we are to keep them in captivity.
I am delighted to see this post! You are absolutely right!
I started the campaign to move Toni to The Elephant Sanctuary (this was before we knew exactly how bad her condition was) and am continuing to follow the zoo's progress in constructing its new exhibit, which, I heard -- and I don't know how good this info is -- will not be completed until 2011. That means it probably won't be ready until 2013!!
Zoos mean well in their own way but most of them are working with an outdated model, at least for elephants. (Two exceptions: the Oakland, CA, Zoo and the Cologne, Germany, Zoo.)
To me it comes down to this: Elephants' natural lifespan is 65-70 years. Zoo eles don't face the dangers eles in the wild encounter, such as culling, poaching, drought, starvation, etc., so we would expect them to live close to their full lifespan. Instead, zoo eles usually die in their 40s! What's wrong with this picture?
The zoo industry is like any other industry in need of reform: It won't change until we the public force it to.
Last time that I was at the National Zoo, the elephants seemed sooooooooooo depressed. I think they should be sent somewhere else..
Last time that I was at the National Zoo, the elephants seemed sooooooooooo depressed. I think they should be sent somewhere else..
Jeez, as far as funding goes, couldn't we just "find" some of that missing 9 billion dollars of Iraq reconstruction money and use that? Or did that money already go to other "elephants?"
Elephants, giraffes, gorillas, tigers, lions and others need space and companionship - the habitats often seem inadequate.
The Time article, which I read in the supermarket checkout line, quoted zoologists who have made a study of how species deal with captivity as saying that gorillas, tigers and lions can actually deal with captivity in a properly-designed habitat quite well.
What apparently matters for large primates such as gorillas isn't so much their physical surroundings as it is their mental ones -- a gorilla needs a community first and foremost, and whether that community is in a forest or a concrete box doesn't seem to be nearly as important. As for the big cats, in the wild they spend most of their time lounging, and seem quite willing to make a habit of it while in captivity. It's a little bit like a housecat -- they're predators, but have no problem settling for occasional hunting games in a studio apartment so long as their humans bring them their Fancy Feast.
On the other hand, while I don't remember seeing anything about giraffes in the article, it said that antelopes do poorly in captivity because, like elephants, in the wild they prefer to be mobile. Giraffes are presumably similar. And bears -- one of my favorite zoo animals -- turn out to be terrible candidates for captivity; they like novelty almost as much as gorillas but aren't able to express that desire through social networks.
Whatever happened to giving the elephants long leash-led walks around the zoo? In Philadelphia in the 1970s we went on an elephant ride.
I say let the elephants out at night to walk around, once at night, once in the morning.
Elephants in the wild do not life to be 70. They have natural predators and diseases.
SS
It sounds great to give the elephants walks. But this is olny possible if
a. the animal has been "broken" in spirit and will thus follow the commands. Having been to Thailand and seen what happens the process is horroble. 50% of all elephants die in the process. This may work for older elephants but not the younger ones in captivity
b. will only work with females. Kandula, the young bull is handles with protective conduct, meaning they don't go into the area when he is in it. Kandula will never have the opportunity.
c. We are not talknig about zoos vs. wild. These elephants have NO nearing on what is going on in Asia. It is about their quality of life in captivity. If they were sent to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee they would have a couple of thousands of acres to live freely. What can be better than that?
Yes elephants there do live to 70, in fact while in Thaliand we saw two elephants around 80 years of age. And they do not die from diseases only found in captive elephants. I'd hate to have my feet rot off. Must suck.
i wonder how much sodium pentobarbital is required to kill an elephant.
Slightly less than for a Hefalump, slightly more than for a Woozle.
Yo Yo Ma brushing his teeth, priceless! Elephants have huge brains, and can communicate in so many ways it is scarey. (low freq. sound waves, sub-terrain vibration comm, vocalization, mimicry, body language) Their ability to smell is multiples greater than the best tracking dogs, and their hearing is far better than any feline. They communicate family history to their young, and honor their dead. They can use all sorts of tools, and solve complex problems. They are very sensitive, emotional, loving, and protective. AND, they NEVER forget. Should souls like these be incarcerated for the rest of their lives so children can watch them sway with boredom, and rock in misery? Send your child to www.elephants.com to see some of the most entertaining live action you can imagine by elephants in a natural environment.
I'm sure the elephants already at the National Zoo will eat some rat poison left by some forgetful staff member and die anyway. I've boycotted the zoo ever since all that mess. Send them all to a habitat and stop being so dumb and cruel.
Every true elephant expert says the key to a healthy elephant is space, space, space. Go to elephants.com and see what kind of miracles take place for excaptives in a natural environment.
Time for zoos to enter the 21st century. Not every zoo should have elephants. Let a small handful of zoos who have the space be the ones to have the elephant exhibits.
Can it be called boycotting if the zoo doesn't actually charge anything?
The irony of all this is that the National Zoo was originally established by the Smithsonian for purposes of North American endangered species conservation.
Given that the Zoo is pretty adamant about not releasing the elephants, would a giant treadmill suffice, I wonder?
did anyone see this? ->
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/PressMaterials/PressReleases/NZP/ElephantTrails06.cfm
so whoever suggested they walk more... go figure. looks like it's set to begin construction in the spring of next year.
.j.
did anyone see this? ->
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/PressMaterials/PressReleases/NZP/ElephantTrails06.cfm
so whoever suggested they walk more... go figure. looks like it's set to begin construction in the spring of next year.
.j.
This new exhibit would give the eles 4 acres, including indoors and out, and cost $60 MILLION!! That's too much money for too little space, especially when zoos are planning larger expansions of their ele exhibits. Four acres will not be enough, especially when you have males (Kandula now, others later) who will have to be kept separately from the females.
Remember that what looks pretty to zoogoers does not necessarily work for the animals themselves! Wonder what an exhibit designed BY an ele would look like!!
As to their conservation claims: This plan has nothing to do with conservation because they won't be breeding eles to return them to the wild and there's not one penny for habitat preservation or anti-poaching activities. The money the zoo will spend on this exhibit could support entire POPULATIONS of elephants in the wild!
Right you are, Amy!
What you'll see on the Elephant Sanctuary's live web cam (www.elephants.com)are absolutely amazing glimpses of these magical animals just being elephants - playing, socializing, swimming, and just plain loving each other.
The Sanctuary also reaches about 55,000 school children each year with interactive video conferences.
Surely in this age of technology, our nation's premier zoo can think of a better solution than spending millions to show children magnificent creatures in miserable conditions.
With the recent tragic incident at the Tennessee sanctuary, with one person killed and another seriously injured by an elephant, you have to wonder what is wrong with the sanctuary and why people were in the same space as an elephant in the first place. It was my understanding that only places that used bull hooks still went in with their elephants.