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Memphis Zoo: Return Suffering Pandas YaYa and LeLe to China Before It’s Too Late

Memphis Zoo: Return Suffering Pandas YaYa and LeLe to China Before It’s Too Late

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In our 2020 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list, we singled out Tennessee's Memphis Zoo as the 8th worst zoo across all of the United States and Canada — but elephants aren't the only animals suffering there. This zoo is also responsible for the sickness and suffering of two giant pandas under its “care,” YaYa and LeLe, who have been there since 2003. Join us in urging the zoo's director and CEO and other relevant industry and political figures, to see that these pandas are returned safely to China where they can live out their final years comfortably and peacefully.

Though the zoo is secretive about the pandas, their poor condition is apparent in photos taken by horrified visitors, as well as on the zoo's panda cam. Both pandas are underweight, eat very little, and show obvious signs of stereotypic behavior, which is a physical manifestation of mental suffering, otherwise known as zoochosis. YaYa, the female, has a parasite infection that has lasted from at least 2008, has shed much of her fur, and sleeps the whole day. LeLe, the male, is severely underweight and appears to have a dental condition that the zoo is unwilling or unable to treat.

One of the main issues appears to be the low quality, and small amount, of bamboo they are provided. Another issue is excessive caging. In one documented period, YaYa was only allowed outdoors four times in a four-week period. Unsurprisingly, both pandas demonstrate repetitive stereotypical behaviors, including self-harm.

 

The public has spoken up about their concerns for YaYa and LeLe. One petition alone has garnered over 56,000 signatures. Activists worldwide have teamed up as Panda Voices to document harms and get the word out. But the Memphis Zoo has chosen the path of denying anything is wrong and going so far as to even block fans' comments on its social media page, and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums has unsurprisingly declined to hold the Memphis Zoo accountable.

In Defense of Animals is extremely concerned about YaYa, LeLe, and all the animals held prisoner at Memphis Zoo. Multiple Grant's gazelles have mysteriously died in the zoo's care without mention, and our 10 Worst Zoos list exposed how African elephant Tyrzana was killed before her natural in-the-wild life expectancy at the zoo in September 2020. Our Freedom of Information Act requests to Memphis Zoo have gone unanswered.

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