Retire Bamboo from #1 Worst Zoo
Retire Bamboo from #1 Worst Zoo
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden has the dubious honor of topping In Defense of Animals' 10 Worst Zoos List this year for its part in creating a devastatingly tragic outcome for elephants Chai and Bamboo. In January of 2016, thirty-seven year old Asian elephant Chai was found dead and alone in the outside exhibit at Oklahoma City Zoo. Her death came only eight months after she and her longtime companion, Bamboo, were forced on a harrowing cross-country journey from Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo to the Oklahoma City Zoo. Not long after their arrival, Chai lost approximately 1000 pounds and had a host of chronic health problems, yet the Oklahoma Zoo had the audacity to say that there were “no red flags” before her death. We can't let Bambo die here too!
Since her long distance transfer and the loss of her friend Chai, Bamboohas been repeatedly attacked by at least one other female Asian elephant, resulting in approximately two inches of her tail being bitten off. The Oklahoma Zoo claims that these attacks are no longer occurring, but this claim must be verified by independent observers or investigated by the USDA.