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.