Date
September 1, 2006
Contact
Suzanne Roy
919-732-8983
Catherine Doyle
323-301-5730
In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner Blvd
San Rafael
CA 94901
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.
IDA Calls for Closure of Milwaukee Zoo Elephant Exhibit in Wake of Today’s Elephant Death
Surviving Elephant Should be Sent to a Sanctuary Before It’s Too Late
Milwaukee, Wisc.—In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international animal protection organization, today called on the Milwaukee County Zoo to close its elephant exhibit following this morning’s euthanasia of a 46-year old-African elephant named Lucy. In a letter to Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, IDA called for the transfer of Brittany, the Zoo’s surviving elephant, to a sanctuary.
Lucy collapsed in the elephant yard in June and her survival was questionable at that time. Zoo medical records obtained by IDA indicate that Lucy suffered from arthritis and had been on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs off and on for years. Records also reveal that Lucy endured foot problems directly related to spending the winter months on persistently wet concrete floors.
“Lucy’s premature death was unnecessary and preventable had the conditions of her confinement been changed,” said IDA President Elliot M. Katz, DVM, in the letter to Walker. “Elephants are big animals who need big spaces and zoos like Milwaukee simply aren’t giving them what they need.”
“Elephants are suffering unnecessarily in inadequate zoo conditions and it’s just not right,” Dr. Katz continued. “Responsible governance and humanity demand that you close Milwaukee’s elephant exhibit before another elephant suffers and dies unnecessarily there.”
Lack of space for exercise and hard, unyielding surfaces like concrete and compacted dirt, contribute to foot and joint disease, which is the leading cause of suffering and premature death for elephants in zoos. Milwaukee Zoo provides a mere one-fifth of an acre for elephants. In the wild, elephants naturally walk miles each day on natural surfaces that serve to maintain foot and joint health.
Lucy is the fifth elephant to die this year at American Zoo and Aquarium Association-accredited zoos after having suffered for years from arthritis and/or foot disease. Another Milwaukee Zoo elephant, Babe, who died in 2001 at age 41, also suffered from foot problems. According to medical records, the Zoo’s surviving elephant, Brittany, 25, also has foot problems that worsen in winter when she is confined indoors for long periods of time, as was reported with Lucy.
Inability to meet the needs of elephants has prompted several major zoos, including San Francisco, Detroit and the Bronx Zoos, to either close or phase out their elephant exhibits. Although protected from dangers like poaching and famine that cut short the lives of wild elephants, elephants in zoos are dying at about half their natural lifespan. For more information see www.helpelephants.com.