Let the National Zoo's Elephants Go

An op-ed, by ex zoo curator Les Schobert, in the Sunday, October 16, Washington Post is headed, "Let the Zoo's Elephants Go." (Pg B08.)

It opens:
"The Smithsonian Institution is a national treasure, but when it comes to elephants, its National Zoo is a national embarrassment.

"In 2000 the zoo euthanized Nancy, an African elephant that was suffering from foot problems so painful that standing had become difficult for her. Five years later the zoo has announced that Toni, an Asian elephant, is suffering from arthritis so severe that she, too, may be euthanized [Metro, Sept. 6]."

Schobert writes that zoos' tiny enclosures and unnatural surfaces destroy elephant legs and feet. He writes, "Toni has access to a yard of less than an acre. Zoo industry standards allow the keeping of elephants in as little as 2,200 square feet, or about 5 percent of an acre."

He shares the heartening news that "Some zoos have begun to reevaluate their ability to house elephants. After the death of two elephants in 2004, the San Francisco Zoo sent its surviving elephants to a sanctuary in California. This year the Detroit Zoo closed its elephant exhibit on ethical grounds, and its two surviving elephants now thrive at the California sanctuary as well."

And he recommends "The Elephant Sanctuary" in Tennessee for Toni:
"A preserve of at least 2 square miles -- 1,280 acres, or almost eight times the size of the National Zoo -- would be necessary to meet an elephant's physical and social needs. Since this is not feasible, the zoo should send its pachyderms to a sanctuary. One such facility, the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, offers 2,700 acres of natural habitat over which elephants can roam and heal from the damage caused by zoo life."

You'll find Schobert's whole Washington Post piece on line at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/14/AR2005101401662.html

It presents a great opportunity for supportive letters to the editor on the use of captive wild animals for human entertainment. The Washington Post takes letters at letters [at] washpost.com and advises, "Letters must be exclusive to The Washington Post, and must include the writer's home address and home and business telephone numbers."

You can find out more about Toni's plight at http://www.savezooelephants.com/national_zoo.html (Thanks to Amy Mayers for that link) and you can learn more about the wonderful elephant sanctuary in Tennessee at its site: http://www.elephants.com/


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