In Defense of Animals Releases 2015 List of “Ten Worst Zoos For Elephants.”

In Defense of Animals has released its respected annual list of the “Ten Worst Zoos For Elephants” in North America for 2015. In its twelfth-year, the list exposes the hidden suffering of elephants in zoos, where lack of space, unsuitably cold climates and unnatural conditions condemn Earth’s largest land mammals to lifetimes of deprivation, disease, despair, and early death.

As part of an encouraging trend, 2015 was the year that four more zoos closed their cruel elephant exhibits, three of which appeared on the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list in previous years. Despite the callous and inane decision of Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle to send elephants Chai and Bamboo to the Oklahoma City Zoo (our #3 worst zoo this year) instead of a sanctuary, we can count that as one less horrific excuse of a living space for an elephant. We celebrate that the remaining three elephants were transferred from Nashville Zoo to a sanctuary. And last year’s #1 worst zoo, Natural Bridge Zoo in Virginia, was temporarily closed to the public in 2015, as a result of Animal Welfare Act violations. Even more violations have been recently discovered, which we hope will lead to a permanent shutdown of this roadside atrocity.

Despite these encouraging developments, this year’s list highlights a particularly dark and devastating entry; three zoos colluding in a highly controversial attempt to import 18 young elephants from Africa to be incarcerated for life in dismal zoo displays. As a result of this terrible trio’s barbaric plans, we have the first-ever tie for the #1 spot on the Worst Zoos for Elephants list: Dallas Zoo in Texas, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska, and the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas.

In Defense of Animals Elephant Scientist, Toni Frohoff, Ph.D., states, “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.”

In Defense of Animals President, Dr. Marilyn Kroplick, says, “We call on all remaining zoos with elephants to join the many others that have closed their archaic exhibits, and to send the elephants to sanctuaries where they can live in peace.”

While most zoos that house elephants are completely inadequate and deserve to be on the 2015 Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants List, In Defense of Animals considers a number of factors to narrow down the very worst,  including events that have happened during the year. Criteria include lack of space, excessively cold climates, signs of severe psychological distress through stereotypic and other behaviors, egregious disregard for the social and medical needs of elephants, breeding issues, premature deaths, and management style.