Animal Protection Organization Calls for Federal Investigation Into San Antonio Zoo Elephant Death Zoo Urged to Close Exhibit, Send Surviving Elephant to a Sanctuary

San Antonio, Texas—International animal protection organization In Defense of Animals (IDA) today sent an urgent request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for an investigation into the death of Alport, the 49-year old African elephant who died after collapsing at the San Antonio Zoo last week, after reportedly suffering an "orthopedic tear" in her leg.

Alport
Alport the Elephant on 10/16/07, 17 days before her death.

"A serious ligament injury, such as that suffered by Alport, is usually caused by an accident or trauma," said IDA president and veterinarian Dr. Elliot M. Katz, who believes the circumstances of the elephant’s death are suspicious. "We are seeking a federal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Alport’s injury to determine its cause and whether it could have been prevented."

Katz said Alport could have sustained the injury after previously collapsing for unknown reasons and struggling to get up. He said he also was concerned about the hazards presented by the steep concrete moat that surrounds the elephant exhibit. Dry moats can pose a substantial threat to elephants, especially those that are deep, narrow-sided, and contain a hard bottom, such as the moat at San Antonio Zoo.

In a separate letter to San Antonio Zoo director Steve McCusker, IDA called for closure of the elephant exhibit and transfer of 47-year-old Lucky, the zoo’s surviving pachyderm, to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, which provides 2100 acres of natural habitat preserve for Asian elephants.

"The San Antonio Zoo simply does not have the space to house elephants, earth’s largest land mammal, who in the wild walk ten or more miles a day and live in large, tightly-knit family groups," Katz wrote to McCusker. "For decades, your zoo has housed elephants in a cramped and unnatural exhibit that fails to meet their physical and psychological needs."

In 2004, the Zoo euthanized Ginny, who had suffered from severe arthritis and infectious foot ailments for several years, conditions directly related to inadequate zoo conditions including lack of space for healthy movement and hard surfaces like concrete and hard-packed soil. It is estimated that over 60 percent of all elephants in zoos suffer from foot disease and nearly half have arthritis.

At age 49, Alport died well before an elephant’s natural lifespan of 60 to 70 years. African elephants in the wild are known to reproduce into their 50s.

For more information, visit www.HelpElephants.com.