“Foot Health Awareness Month” Kicks-off at Philadelphia Zoo
Chronic Foot Problems and Arthritis Leading Cause of Death in Captive Elephants

Philadelphia - During the month of April, In Defense of Animals (IDA) will observe the American Podiatric Medical Association’s “Foot Health Awareness Month” in an unusual way—outside of zoos across the country to highlight the often-lethal, captivity-induced foot disorders that plague elephants in our nation’s zoos due to lack of space and inability to move on soft, natural surfaces. Activists armed with signs and banners will greet Philadelphia Zoo visitors with information on how elephants suffer on display at zoos:

When: Sunday, April 10, 12 noon – 3 p.m.
Where: Philadelphia Zoo, main entrance

“If humans suffered from widespread foot problems such as recurrent abscesses and infections, measures would be taken at the first onset to solve these problems and eliminate the causes,” said Dr. Dennis Gates, orthopedic surgeon with 28 years of foot surgery experience and Assistant Clinical Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago Medical School. “Everyone would be aware of these problems because people would be complaining. Sadly, we have difficulty recognizing the elephants’ constant suffering.”

Elephants, the world’s largest land mammals, travel tens of miles a day in the wild to maintain proper foot, joint and digestive health. Foot ailments are uncommon to pachyderms in the wild because elephants are able to maintain foot and joint health by walking great distances on varied terrain. The sedentary lifestyle experienced by elephants due to the restricted space of urban zoos does not provide the movement that elephants need to wear down their pads and nails sufficiently and keep a healthy flow of blood to the feet. Elephants in zoos spend much of their time on concrete or hard compacted dirt, leading to recurrent foot infections and arthritis. 

Elephant foot expert Michael Schmidt, a former zoo veterinarian who specialized in the care of elephants for over 25 years, states in his book Jumbo Ghosts: “Zoo-genic foot disease remains the number one source of pain, suffering and premature death for zoo elephants.” American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) statistics state the average age of death for elephants in zoos is 34 years old, about half their natural lifespan.

IDA President Elliot Katz, DVM, says AZA standards for elephant care are woefully inadequate. “No urban environment can meet the vast space requirements of elephants, and the AZA just makes matters worse by trying to legitimize such pathetic ‘standards’ as even remotely humane. In terms of comparable size, an elephant living within a 1,800 square foot enclosure is equivalent to a human being spending his entire life in a prison cell.”

Nine of the nation’s AZA-accredited zoos have already put their foot down by sending their elephants to sanctuaries that provide a more naturalistic environment and high quality of care for these animals. With hundreds of acres of grassy hills and meadows, sanctuaries give elephants a chance to recover from decades of forced immobility. As elephants continue to suffer captivity-induced problems, many zoos now realize that these animals’ needs are greater than they can provide for, and some are starting to question whether elephants should be put on exhibit at all.

Please visit SaveZooElephants.com for more information.