Photo credit: Claudia Emerson
The history of elephants in zoos is full of mental and physical pain. Wild elephants, astonishingly intelligent, perceptive and complex beings, live in caring and secure extended families that stay intact for life. But zoo elephants have traditionally been lonely, shipped around indiscriminately, bored, cramped, chained and beaten.
- David Hancocks, former director Woodland Park Zoo, Sonora Desert Museum and Australia's Open Range Zoo in Werribee
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Quick Facts
- Elephants are earth's largest land mammal. They walk tens of miles each day in the wild, and simply cannot thrive in tiny, barren and unnatural zoo enclosures.
- Elephants live in extended family groups, with mothers and daughters staying together for life. Their highly developed social structure approaches the complexity of humans.
- Elephants in zoos are forced to live in small groups of unrelated individuals and are confined to small pens that are fraction of their natural range.
- Elephants in zoos are often confined 14 hours a day in tiny, concrete barn stalls. In cold climates, elephants - who naturally hail from warm climates -- spend long winter months locked inside in these tiny stalls, where even small amounts of exercise are impossible.
- Elephants in some zoos are chained at night and controlled through domination and force, with devices like bullhooks (sharply pointed devices used to "hook" the elephant in sensitive body parts).
- Zoo conditions cause painful health problems like arthritis, chronically infected feet, neurotic behaviors, and reproductive disorders.
- Many elephants in zoos are given steady doses of painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics to treat captivity-induced physical ailments.
- Elephants in zoos die decades before their natural 60-70 year lifespan.
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