Date
March 16, 2006
Contact
Suzanne Roy
919-732-8983
or
919-697-9389
(cell)
In Defense of Animals IDA is an international, California-based animal advocacy organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by defending their rights, welfare and habitats.
131 Camino Alto
Mill Valley
CA 94941
St. Louis Zoo Violationg Federal Law in Housing of Elephants
Group Charges in Complaint to the USDA
Mill Valley, Calif.—The St. Louis Zoo is violating the federal Animal Welfare Act by holding elephants in inadequate conditions that cause painful foot and joint disease, charged In Defense of Animals (IDA) in a complaint filed yesterday with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
"Conditions at the St. Louis Zoo do not come close to meeting the vast spatial and social needs of elephants, who live in extended family groups and can walk tens of miles a day in the wild," said Les Schobert, the former General Curator of the Los Angeles and North Carolina Zoos and a consultant to IDA on elephant issues. "The many painful, captivity-induced health problems afflicting elephants in St. Louis are clear evidence that the Zoo is failing to meet the requirements set forth under federal law."
The Animal Welfare Act mandates that zoos provide elephants with adequate space and conditions consistent with their well-being. The St. Louis Zoo holds elephants in yards of less than one-half acre and confines them to concrete-floored barn stalls for extended periods of time, especially in winter when the cold temperatures force elephants to be indoors for days on end.
Of the Zoo’s seven elephants, six suffer from lameness, joint problems, chronic foot abscesses and nail problems. An eighth elephant, 32-year-old Carolyn, who died at the Zoo in 2000 also suffered from arthritis and foot problems, according to an autopsy report. One elephant, Clara, age 52, suffers from chronic foot infections so severe that she wears sandals on her back feet and once developed pressure sores (akin to bedsores) from lying down for prolonged periods due to pain in her feet. Even the Zoo’s young elephants, 9-year-old Rani and 11- year-old Raja suffer from the beginning stages of foot disease. Rani has also suffered from intermittent lameness since she was five.
Elephants in zoos commonly die decades before their natural 60-70 year lifespan. Of the 46 elephants who have died in American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA)-accredited zoos since 2000, fewer than half made it to their 40th birthday.
IDA’s complaint is based on St. Louis Zoo medical records, obtained through the Missouri Public Records Law. It was submitted as an addendum to a citizens’ petition filed by IDA last month asking USDA to enforce the Animal Welfare Act by compelling zoos to drastically improve conditions for elephants or send them to a sanctuary with conditions appropriate to elephant health.
Last month, the USDA informed IDA that the petition raises “important issues” and will be published in full in the Federal Register, followed by a 60-day public comment period. IDA has requested that its St. Louis Zoo complaint be published with the petition.
In Defense of Animals is an international animal rescue and protection organization based in Mill Valley, California. For more info on IDA’s elephant campaign, see www.helpelephants.com
Related Links
Veterinarian Reports on Poor Health of St. Louis Zoo Elephants