Who Belongs in the Zoo?

Thursday, August 23, 2007
Who Belongs in the Zoo?
Animal experts have some new ideas about the effects of life in captivity.

There were tears when Gita died this summer. The 48-year-old Asian elephant was the grand old pachyderm of the Los Angeles Zoo, in California. There were also protests. Gita and her zoo mates, Billy, a 21-year-old Asian bull elephant, and Ruby, a 45-year-old African female, have been in the middle of a hot debate. Is it really possible to keep giant creatures healthy and happy in a zoo?

Gita, Billy and Ruby had long lived in cramped quarters. For that reason, the zoo is spending $39 million to build its elephants a new home. When it is completed in 2009, the space will cover more than 3.7 acres. Sadly, Gita will never get to enjoy the home improvements. She died of complications from an infection and a foot condition that is often a problem for elephants in captivity. In the wild, Asian elephants can live up to 60 years.

Room to Roam
Some animal-behavior experts believe that even 3.7 acres is not enough space for animals that can roam as much as 30 miles a day and are used to hanging out in large groups. "It is simply not possible for zoos to meet the needs of elephants," says David Hancocks, who used to be the director of the Woodland Park Zoo, in Seattle, Washington. Many experts believe that the best places for elephants in this country are huge elephant sanctuaries like the one in Hohenwald, Tennessee. There, elephants are free to run across 2,700 acres.

Over the past five years, zoos in some big cities have quietly made plans to eventually close their elephant exhibits. As the elephants at these zoos die, they will not be replaced. Robert Cook of New York City's Bronx Zoo promises that the zoo will continue to take good care of its elephants. He also adds that the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the zoo, will continue to spend $2 million each year to help protect elephants in the wild. "We will still be committed to elephant conservation," Cook told TFK.

Zoos Done Right
Elephants are not the only creatures that animal-behavior experts worry about. Zookeepers are thinking harder than ever about how to best take care of all species. Some worry that animals such as giraffes and gazelles, which are used to running freely over many miles of land, need much more space than zoos provide. The zoo's location counts too. The San Diego Zoo decided many years ago that the hot climate of Southern California made it a bad place to keep cold-weather animals such as moose. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, outside Tucson, exhibits only species that are native to the area.

There are plenty of zoo favorites--lions, tigers, gorillas--that seem to do well in captivity. The concern over which animals do and don't belong in zoos is important, says Joel Parrott, the director of the Oakland Zoo, in California. In the future, many zoos may decide to have fewer animals.

When zoos are done right, Parrott argues, they make people feel really good. Zoos should "inspire people to be inspired about wildlife," he says.

Animals Up Close
In just two weeks, the National Zoo, in Washington, D.C., will celebrate the opening of its new Asia Trail exhibit. It will feature sloth bears, fishing cats and pandas.

You may never get to travel to Asia or Africa or South America. But thanks to zoos, you still have the chance to hear a lion roar or to see a panda nuzzle her new baby. Zoos make it possible for us to see exotic animals. But best of all, they remind us of our responsibility to protect those precious creatures in the wild.
By David Bjerklie
With reporting by Jeanne McDowell/Los Angeles