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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Toni Frohoff, Ph.D., toni@idausa.org, (805) 836-0496

Oklahoma City Zoo Named and Shamed in Worst Zoo List

IMAGES: http://bit.ly/22WnJl0

Oklahoma City, OK (Jan 12, 2016) – International animal protection organization, In Defense of Animals, today released its annual list of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America, with Oklahoma City Zoo scooping the shameful dishonor of being the #3 Worst Zoo for Elephants in North America, cited for reckless breeding and baby birthdays behind bars.

Now in its twelfth year, In Defense of Animals’ respected list exposes the cruelty behind keeping the Earth’s largest land mammal captive in small, inadequate zoo exhibits that cause a lifetime of misery and lead to premature death.

“It is truly despicable that Oklahoma City Zoo is risking elephants’ health for profit” said In Defense of Animals President, Dr. Marilyn Kroplick. “We call Oklahoma City Zoo to release the elephants from their desperate life to a sanctuary where they can be with their own kind in a much more suitable environment.”

Toni Frohoff, Ph.D., Elephant Scientist for In Defense of Animals said, “Evidence shows that elephants are not thriving or self-sustaining in zoos. Urgent action must be taken to stop greedy corporations from plundering elephants from the wild so they can restock elephants dying out in zoo displays faster than they can reproduce. If you want to help protect elephants, don’t visit zoos and instead help support real conservation efforts that keep animals in the wild where they belong.”

It should have been no surprise that the Oklahoma City Zoo suffered the loss of Malee, a four-year-old Asian elephant, to the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes virus (EEHV). This virus attacks young elephant calves and causes massive internal hemorrhaging and horrifically painful deaths. Malee’s mother, Asha (a different Asha from Natural Bridge Zoo, above), was exposed to the disease at an early age when her half sister, Chandra (who also lives at the Oklahoma City Zoo), was treated for EEHV and survived. The zoo acknowledges that it doesn’t know why some elephants contract the disease and others do not, nor do they know much about how the disease is transmitted. Yet, the zoo recklessly forges ahead with its breeding program.

The zoo now holds another elephant captive, Chai, who lost her only offspring to EEHV while at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. She and Bamboo arrived in Oklahoma City last year, after coming within an elephant’s eyelash of being retired to a sanctuary. Bamboo, despite her exposure to the virus in Seattle, and possibly now in Oklahoma City, is marked for possible future breeding. Apparently, the ticket sales that a baby elephant can generate are much more valuable than the welfare of the elephants themselves. This reckless breeding is a risky business that costs elephants lives.

10 WORST ZOOS:
1 Dallas Zoo, Tex., Henry Doorly Zoo, Neb., and Sedgwick County Zoo, Kan.
2 Natural Bridge Zoo, Vir.
3 Oklahoma City Zoo, Okla.
4 Wildlife Safari, Ore.
5 Buttonwood Park Zoo, Mass.
6 San Antonio Zoo, Tex.
7 Oregon Zoo, Ore.
8 Monterey Zoo, Calif.
9 Buffalo Zoo, N.Y.
10 Southwick’s Zoo, Mass.

HALL OF SHAME
Bronx Zoo, NY

DISHONORABLE MENTION
Edmonton Zoo, Alberta, Canada

For more information, please visit http://www.idausa.org/2015tenworstzoos

NOTES

Images of the elephants: http://bit.ly/22WnJl0

Closed or closing elephant exhibits: http://www.idausa.org/pdfs/IDA_Zoos_closedorplantocloseexhibits_12_2015.pdf

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In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization located in San Rafael, Calif. dedicated to protecting animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats through education, outreach, and our hands-on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi.

IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS • 3010 KERNER BLVD. • SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901 • 415-448-0048