Dave Bernazani
2009
(global) – Elephants in zoos live anonymous lives. Day after day, the
zoo-going public stops for a brief look, unaware of the secret suffering
elephants endure. They don’t know that what zoos refer to as ’specimens’ in
their ‘collections’ are actually intelligent, self-aware individuals who
were once part of tight-knit families that would give their lives to protect
one another (and some possibly did).
They are equally unaware (and the zoos don’t want them to know) that the
elephants may be physically suffering from the ravages of captivity, dosed
with drugs to mask their pain, and sometimes forced to endure repeated
artificial insemination, a painful procedure that often requires incisions
to expand the vulva, making it susceptible to infection… just so zoos can
get baby elephants, a big crowd-pleaser. Usually the attempts fail
miserably, or the babies die prematurely of diseases they would never get in
the wild.
Most zoos act as prisons to the animals housed there. According to studies
by wildlife welfare experts, around 80% of the animals exhibit stereotypical
behaviors, such as pacing, head-bobbing and other types of repetitive
movements that show the animal is in distress as a result of confinement and
being stared at day in, day out.
Zoos cannot adequately house and care for large mammals such as elephants,
giraffes and rhinos– only preserves and sanctuaries have the room they
require. Not to mention, animals that are captured abroad are torn from
family members or herds.
Who’s fighting them: ATAAC, CAPS (Captive Animals Protective Society), the
International Elephant Foundation, The Elephant Sanctuary, HSUS, PETA, IDA,
Equanimal (Spain), ALV (Aus), Animal Aid.
MORE INFO
Today's zoos are a relic of a bygone age – a Victorian concept which, as our
knowledge of the animal kingdom grows, becomes even less palatable.
To most people, it is self evident that keeping a rhinoceros in a small
concrete enclosure in central London is hardly appropriate. So zoos claim
they are on a greater mission: for conservation, education, research, and
entertainment. Zoos now favor terms like wildlife park or even ’sanctuary’.
It is a myth to think that all zoo animals have been captive bred. All of
the African elephants in UK zoos and most of the Asian have been imported
from their country of origin. Wild animals are still captured and supplied
to animal collections. In 1998 some 30 infant wild elephants were taken from
their mothers in Botswana to be sold to European zoos by an animal dealer.
Animal protection groups stepped in to oppose the sale but were unable to
prevent seven elephants going to zoos in Switzerland and Germany.
Although zoos may not take as many animals from the wild as they once did,
once there, the animals are there for life. In 1996, of 138 Bornean
orang-utans in 35 European collections, 38 were wild born, ranging from 7 to
41 years old.
And some species such as white tigers, which zoos covet because of their
“Ooh and ahh” appeal, are so grossly inbred that 80% don’t even live, and
most of the rest have genetic defects and are sold to whoever will buy them.
The breeding of white tigers is unethical, but then so is keeping any animal
behind bars for life, but many zoos do both. If you happen to see a white
tiger in a zoo, ask the keepers uncomfortable questions like where did it
come from, why are they still inbreeding them, and how many of his siblings
had to die for him to be there. Let them know that you hold no value in
inbred animals just because it makes them look “special”.
Recent progress
Public knowledge of proper animal care is improving faster than the zoo
habitats themselves. Huge strides have been made recently in many western
zoos. 18American zoos (including the San Francisco, Philadelphia and Bronx
zoos) have opted to transfer their elephants to sanctuaries, admitting that
they can not provide adequate habitats for the large creatures. Others, like
the Dallas and L.A. zoos, are spending millions of dollars in improvements,
but even with that many still cannot adequately provide for the needs of
many of the larger animals.
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