L.A. Zoo Watch
History
Voice for the Animals Foundation (VFTA)
has been working on L.A. Zoo issues, with a focus on
elephants, since the 1990s, holding press conferences
and campaigning to close the Zoo's inadequate elephant
exhibit. In 2003, VFTA was a major supporter of the
taxpayer lawsuit to bring Ruby the elephant
back to the Los Angeles Zoo after she had been separated
from her companion of 16 years and sent to the Knoxville
Zoo in Tennessee. Elephant advocates prevailed when
44-year-old Ruby was brought back in November 2004.
FACT: Zoos often separate elephant friends and
family. Ruby's plight highlighted the national problem
of elephants being indiscriminately moved from zoo to
zoo with little regard for important social ties. In
fact, elephants have the largest social network of any
animal studied, except humans. They live in matriarchal
herds, where all the females help raise the young
elephants. Females remain with their mothers for life.
FACT: An elephant's natural lifespan is 60-70
years.
In AZA
zoos, elephants are dying at an average age of 34 years.
FACT: Elephants need a lot of space!
Wild elephants can easily
walk 30 miles a day. There is a story about one male elephant who walked
100 miles in one day! Elephants are in constant movement, which is
essential to their physical and psychological health. Yet, the American
Zoo and Aquarium Association, an industry trade group that accredits
zoos, allows elephants to be held in 1800 square feet of space - the
size of 6 parking lot spaces.
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In Memory of Tara
Tara, a
39-year-old African elephant, prematurely died in
December 2004. Prior to her death, she suffered from
horrendous arthritis, existing on a high-dose cocktail
of pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs. This is not
uncommon in today's zoos, where lack of movement due to
small spaces and walking on hard surfaces creates
often-lethal foot and joint problems.
It may be
too late for Tara, but we will work tirelessly to ensure
that the remaining L.A. Zoo elephants do not suffer and
die like Tara did. They should have the chance to live
out their lives at an elephant sanctuary.
In Memory of Gita
Gita, the L.A. Zoo's Asian Elephant, passed away on June 10, 2006. For over two years, Gita was kept in a tiny exhibit area with no room to move about. Zoo records indicate that she suffered from serious, chronic foot problems for years and she also had arthritis - the two leading causes of euthanasia in captive elephants in the U.S. Inadequate living quarters led to her infected foot, which was continuously dosed with pain killers. Gita, died, at 48, with no one around her when she collapsed.
How you can Help
Become part
of the Zoo Watch L.A. team! Send an email to info@vftafoundation.org, or donate to our Zoo Watch L.A. Fund.
LA Zoo Watch
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Sanctuary for All the
L.A. Zoo Elephants
L.A. Zoo's lone male Asian
elephant, 19-year-old Billy - who spends most of his time living in
solitary confinement - must also be transferred. For years, he has been
displaying extreme "zoochotic" behavior in the form of neurotic "head
bobbing." This type of behavior is caused by factors such as lack of
space and lack of complexity in the elephant's environment.
The L.A. Zoo must transfer Billy to a sanctuary, where he
can experience the highest quality of life. It's as close to living in
the wild as he will ever get!
There are two elephant
sanctuaries in the U.S. - Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in
Northern California and The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. They both
offer hundreds of acres of naturalistic habitat where an elephant can
move freely and walk on soft, natural surfaces that foster the healing
of painful feet and joints.
In May 2007, Ruby was successfully transferred to PAWS. She now roams the hillsides with her other companions, Lulu and Mara. Now 46 years old, we know that she will enjoy a happy and healthy life out of the public's eye.
Click here to see Ruby and her other elephant friends at PAWS
Elephants don't do this in zoos!
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