In captivity the quality of life for elephants is greatly reduced Elephant Guardians of LA
Dear Commons Community,
Elephants, the largest land mammals on Earth, live in matriarchal family groups led by the eldest female. Known for their highly social nature, they exhibit remarkable traits such as affection, empathy, and even grief. With a lifespan ranging from 50 to 70 years, their longevity is influenced by factors like habitat conditions, food availability, predators and human activities such as poaching and habitat destruction. They are just one of the most incredible and fascinating animals on earth.
Elephants that live in zoos, however, have a much shorter lifespan, and things like lack of exercise, stress, and certain health issues, such as obesity or joint problems, all contribute to this. Yet many zoos still display these amazing, majestic creatures. For twenty years, In Defense of Animals has been releasing their 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America list and it will make you think twice before visiting these beautiful creatures at your local zoo.
In Defense Of Animals says, “In the wild, elephants thrive into their 60s, raising calves well into their 50s and roaming up to 30 miles daily. In zoos like Los Angeles Zoo, where enclosures are thousands of times smaller than their natural range, elephants are dying decades prematurely.
According to Bob Jacobs, Professor of Neuroscience at Colorado College, “It’s likely that zoos contribute to premature aging of elephants through the cumulative effects of prolonged stress (with its neural consequences) and acceleration of health issues like foot and digestive problems.”
As heartbreaking as all of this is, here is the list for 2024.
2024 List of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants:Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Calif.
- Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Calif.
- The Bronx Zoo, N.Y.
- Edmonton Valley Zoo, Canada
- Cameron Park Zoo, Waco, Texas
- Two Tails Ranch, Williston, Fla.
- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center, Kan.
- Little Rock Zoo, Ark.
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Ohio
- Phoenix Zoo, Ariz.
In a wonderful sign of progress, In Defense of Animals is honoring a zoo with its new Path to Progress Award. Forty-one zoos have closed or pledged to close their exhibits. By retiring its lone African elephant, Osh, Oakland Zoo has offered a blueprint for compassionate care that other zoos must follow. Actors Mayim Bialik and James Roday Rodriguez are among the celebrities calling for all zoos to follow this humane example and retire elephants to true sanctuaries.
“Premature aging and death are the unavoidable consequences of keeping elephants in captivity,” said Courtney Scott, Elephant Consultant for In Defense of Animals. “We are heartened by the progress of 41 zoos that have closed or pledged to close their exhibits and delighted to present our first-ever Path to Progress Award. However, time is running out fast for elephants like Billy and Tina. We demand that all zoos urgently follow Oakland Zoo’s path to progress by granting early sanctuary retirement to all their suffering elephants before it’s too late.”
I will have to think twice about visiting The Bronx Zoo.
Tony
This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
