Posted on 03/03/2006 8:14:48 AM PST by ZULU
More U.S. Zoos Closing Elephant Exhibits
Maryann Mott
for National Geographic News
March 2, 2006
After more than a century of displaying elephants, the Bronx Zoo in New York announced plans last month to shut down its elephant exhibit after the animals die. The announcement comes at a time when some U.S. zoos are debating whether to continue keeping fficials decided to close the Bronx exhibit for the benefit of Maxine, Patty, and Happy—all in their mid-30s and residents at the zoo for some three decades. "Committing to elephants into the future would require us to build up a new herd, and there is no guarantee that our three girls would accept new elephants," said Bronx Zoo spokesperson Alison Power.
Given their age, the Asian elephants could remain on display for another 5, 10, or 20 years.
Growing Trend
A handful of U.S. zoos, including ones in San Francisco and Chicago, have recently closed their elephant exhibits.
Central Park and Prospect Park zoos, both in New York, stopped displaying elephants in the 1980s. Last year, the Detroit Zoo in Michigan sent its aging and arthritic elephants—Winky, 52, and Wanda, 46—to a California sanctuary to live out their remaining years. "Just as polar bears don't thrive in a hot climate, Asian elephants shouldn't live in small groups without many acres to roam," Detroit Zoo director Ron Kagan said at the time.
"They clearly shouldn't have to suffer the winters of the North."
What's more, animal activists are pushing hard to get zoos—most recently those in Los Angeles, Tucson, and Washington, D.C.—to close their elephant exhibits, arguing that captive environments do not meet the animals' physical or behavioral needs.
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) feels that "animal rights extremist groups" are creating controversy where there is none.
"AZA elephant experts have continued to use science, research, and their years of direct animal-care expertise to continually improve elephant care and conservation, both in zoos and in the wild," said Kristin Vehrs, AZA's interim executive director, in a written statement.
New Elephant Center
Of the 78 AZA member zoos that exhibit elephants, 40 are planning to build or expand habitats in the next five years.
In January the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium announced plans to develop an International Conservation Center in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The 724-acre (293-hectare) center will focus on African elephant breeding and management programs. Habitats will accommodate up to 20 elephants, including 5 males. (See photo: African elephants in the wild.) The new center will be the first and only facility run by an AZA-accredited zoo with such a strong emphasis on African elephants.
Now more than ever before, breeding programs are a top priority for zoos, because the captive elephant population is not sustaining itself.
Of the 300 African and Asian elephants in AZA zoos, only 17 will be left in 50 years, one study predicts, and those will be too old to breed.
Elephant Treadmill
At the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, improvements were recently made to its elephant habitat, including the construction of a U.S. $100,000 treadmill for the zoo's lone pachyderm.
The changes came about after questions were raised about whether Maggie, a 22-year-old African elephant, was happy living alone in such a cold environment. In the winter, temperatures frequently dip below freezing, preventing Maggie from going outside for days or weeks.
After consulting with wildlife experts, the zoo's board of directors voted in 2004 to keep Maggie, instead of sending her to another facility, as long as certain improvements were made.
Within the next month, the 7,500-pound (3,400-kilogram) elephant is expected to use the indoor treadmill for the first time, said assistant director Patrick Lampi. Ideally, he said, the zoo would like her to spend 30 minutes on the machine three times a day. "Which is just a brisk walk for an elephant," he noted. In the wild, elephants migrate over long distances and live in well-structured social groups. The AZA, which sets animal care guidelines, recommends female elephants be kept in groups of at least three. In lieu of obtaining more elephants, though, the Alaska zoo increased the number of handlers and the time they spend with her.
The elephant's barn was also enlarged and equipped with new ventilation, heating, and lighting. Stress tests will be conducted periodically to see how Maggie adjusts to her new lifestyle. In August 2007, Lampi said, the board will re-evaluate its decision on whether to keep Maggie.
Elephants certainly are very intellignet animals, and zoos - most of them - have come a long way from keeping animals in cages. Elephants and animals like them should be housed in spacious and comfortable outdoor enclosures so they can live pleasant lives and be viewed by the public.
But that really isn't the issue here. The animal rights nuts would far rather see a species become extinct in the wild than saved through human scientific efforts.
If they were around a few decades ago, American buffalo and Bold eagles would be extinct.
They did their level best to sqaush attempts to preserve the magnificent California Condor in the wild, and, fortuantely, these nutjobs were unsuccessful in that regard.
They are in the same category as tree huggers and PETA freaks, and I'm quite sure they number a lot of the latter among their ranks.
A fitting fate for a Democrat @$$.
Previously, they had been keeping female elephants only, but with the arrival of the male Rajah, they expanded the viewing area a great deal.
Today, it's one of the best parts of the zoo.
After more than a century of displaying elephants, the Bronx Zoo in New York announced plans last month to shut down its elephant exhibit after the animals die.Big deal. The elephants walking through the Midtown Tunnel when Ringling Bros. sets up in Madison Square Garden are far more entertaining.
"Another effort by the animal rights wackos to keep people from enjoying animals, which they consider to be humans in an alternate form."
I volunteer you to spend your life in a zoo pen like the elephants.
Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago really didn't have much of a choice about closing the elephant exhibit. The elephants kept dying.
Not totally accurate...as I am closely tied to the Bronx situation. It is being done for the best interest of the animals, not because of outside pressure. This is a decision made on welfare, not politics.
And as for the bison....that is true....thanks to the Bronx Zoo and WCS, who runs the zoos and millions of acres across the globe, Teddy Roosevelt and the American Bison Society kept a population of Bison going in the Bronx at the turn of the Century offspring of which helped repopulate the American West.
Keeping animals in captivity is important for many reasons...breeding, education, scientific research that aids wild populations as well....but it is still a responsibility that should not be taken lightly and sometimes difficult decisions must be made.
WCS is a pioneer in animal enrichment (things that keep captive animals stimulated and emotionall healthy) but there are some limits.
In my biased but well researched position, WCS does not have a political ax to grind but helping conservation and education....if you want an environmental organization that is not leftist...this is a worthwhile organiztion...
In January the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium announced plans to develop an International Conservation Center in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The 724-acre (293-hectare) center will focus on African elephant breeding and management programs. Habitats will accommodate up to 20 elephants, including 5 males. (See photo: African elephants in the wild.) The new center will be the first and only facility run by an AZA-accredited zoo with such a strong emphasis on African elephants.
This sounds soo neat!
I'm not an animal rights activist, but it's sad to see large animals cooped up in (relatively) tiny enclosures.
Maybe we should introduce them to the great plains and let them roam? It would be kind of cool to see elephants in West Texas. There's actually a semi-serious proposal being bounced around to introduce Cheetahs into the US.
Guess you can't read.
"Elephants and animals like them should be housed in spacious and comfortable outdoor enclosures so they can live pleasant lives and be viewed by the public."
I don't approve of keeping animals in cages - elephants, lions, etc. should be in large outdoor ecologically apropriate enclosures - the bigger the better.
The zoo in Syracuse just remodeled a whole large outdoor exhibit area for it's elephants. For some reason, Syracuse has an exceptionally successful animal breeding program. It's not a huge zoo but is very nice.
"Elephants and animals like them should be housed in spacious and comfortable outdoor enclosures so they can live pleasant lives and be viewed by the public. "
I disagree with you....I see a variety of animals every day. WHile not all zoos are perfect, nor are they all bad. There are people who spend hours each day caring for, enriching and worrying about animals in captivity. There are animals who receive state of the art care who would otherwise be dead in the wild. They offer urban populations often the only direct contact with the wild, and thus serve as important ambassadors for protecting animals and territory in the wild.
It is a disservice to those who devote their lives to the care, love and welfare of captive animals.
I have been to Africa twice, and can tell you that African bull elephants are safer in captivity than in the wild.
Poaching is so rampant there that elephants not kept in captivity are susceptible to death by rifle fire in exchange for their ivory tusks.
Most elephants that I have seen in captivity have clean living facilities, water and food. Granted that their freedom and mobility are limited, it is better to see them alive than slaughtered.
lol...can you imagine two Freepers disagreeing???? Whose ever heard of that!!!!!
That is an excellent point. And I would say that much of the scientific knowledge that is gained from the study and care of animals in captivity is crucial to their kind in the wild.
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