Since 1991, 32 North American zoos have closed their elephant exhibits, and three zoos plan to phase them out in the near future. The Detroit Zoo and the San Francisco Zoo became the first in the early 2000s to close their elephant exhibits based on ethical concerns (Cohn, 2006; Siebert, 2019).
The decision to close pachyderm exhibits largely stems from the 2016 requirement by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) that zoos must have enough space for at least three elephants, though zoos also cite economic restrictions, the increase in minimum space requirements, the poor welfare experienced by captive elephants, and chronic health issues as reasons for phase-outs. Zoos that fail to adhere to the AZA requirements concerning space and number of individuals risk losing their AZA accreditation. For elephants registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including those kept in circuses and animal shows, no such minimum spatial requirements even exist.
From 2006 to 2018, of the facilities that committed to phasing-out their elephant exhibits, 11 (41% of the total) sent them to other zoos; nine (33%) sent them to sanctuaries; five (19%) facilities’ elephants died without being replaced, and two facilities’ elephants were sent to unspecified locations (PETA, 2018).
As Some Zoos Look to End Elephant Captivity, Others Invest More into It
As many zoos phase out keeping elephants due to financial, spatial, safety, and/or ethical concerns, some zoos opted to continue pouring exorbitant resources into their continued captive care: the Milwaukee County Zoo simultaneously opted to invest 16.5 million USD in 2019 to build a new elephant enclosure designed to house up to five elephants in a space measuring just 0.47 of an acre. In 2021, Belle, the last elephant to leave Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina, joined Brittany and Ruth in this new enclosure. In 2019, this zoo was mentioned in an article published by the group In Defense for Animals titled “10 Worst Zoos in the Country for Elephants,” calling the new exhibit “Africa on Ice” and an “elephant-sized mistake,” citing Wisconsin’s freezing temperatures and the limited space provided by the updated enclosure (ABC News, 2019).
Zoo Captivity Does Not Help Conserve Wild Elephants
Sadly, not only are hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on the continuing and unnecessary captive housing of elephants, this money delivers little meaningful value to the captive elephants they hold and is potentially being diverted away from valuable in-situ conservation projects that could provide significant benefits to wildlife and the protection of wider ecosystems.
Elephants have been dubbed a super-keystone species. They have a profound impact on their habitats and benefit countless other species (Puri et al., 2019). Sometimes described as “mega-gardeners of the forest” (Campos-Arceiz & Blake, 2011), elephants disperse more seeds of more species of trees and over greater distances than any other animal on this planet (African Forest Elephant Foundation, 2017).
It Is Time to Phase-Out Keeping Elephants in Zoos
Given the harm captivity has on captive elephants, zoos’ stated interest in wildlife conservation, and the lack of benefit from zoos to wildlife conservation efforts, it is time for zoos to phase out their elephant exhibits. There are numerous potential ways to achieve this goal.
The first option would be to move elephants currently at zoos to elephant sanctuaries. But, as there are only two Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries-accredited elephant sanctuaries in North America, availability for elephants to begin a phase-out of captive elephants is limited. But, as of 2022, none of these sanctuaries are at capacity.
Another phase-out approach could be to shift elephants between zoos to consolidate resources and create the most natural groupings possible. Once zoos complete the phase-out, they could divert all available funding to in-situ conservation efforts (Rees, 2003).
Another solution, suggested by Leslie Schobert, retired General Curator at the Los Angeles Zoo, proposes that North American zoos might collaborate to run their own regional sanctuaries. They could buy enough land to house larger herds in the warmer southern states. There would have to be agreement between the zoos, however, to prevent the breeding of new individuals to complete the phase-out (Cohn, 2006).
Further, zoos with more space and a better opportunity to provide a higher quality of care could accept elephants rehomed from smaller zoos and private facilities to improve overall individual welfare for those animals living in especially cramped circuses, traveling shows, or private wildlife safaris (Hutchins & Keele, 2006). Again, breeding would have to be prevented.
Returning captive family groups to the wild is another suggested, but relatively unexplored, option. In 1997, a project was initiated to release captive-reared Asian elephants into national parks and sanctuaries in Thailand, with 104 individuals released to date (Thitaram et al., 2015; Baker & Winkler, 2020). The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya reportedly rescued more than 260 orphaned African elephants with the aim of releasing them back to the wild (Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, 2022). Of the orphans returned to the wild, 48 have gone on to successfully reproduce.
Several African male elephants used in the safari industry have previously been returned to the wild (Evans et al., 20132). Instances of African elephant females being released are much less common but have been documented to successfully mother calves and form their own herds or join existing social groups.
In 2021, the Aspinall Foundation-operated Howletts Wild Animal Park announced its intention to rewild the largest captive herd of elephants within the U.K. to Kenya (Aspinall Foundation, 2021). Outcomes from such operations may inform potential solutions for the phasing out of keeping elephants in captivity along with insight from organizations with expertise in the rehabilitation and return of elephants to the wild.
Take Action for Elephants!
These solutions have been thoroughly researched, determined effective, and provide a promising start in developing a strategy to successfully phase-out holding elephants in captivity in the U.S. Now, we must take action to help keep the “mega-gardeners of the forest” and super-keystone species in the wild for generations to come.
Please help us end the keeping of elephants in captivity. Read and share our newest report, Elephants in Zoos—A Legacy of Shame, watch our video detailing the plight of elephants in captivity, and consider adopting an elephant, to help us fight to better ensure the health and well-being of future elephants in the wild; or we risk losing them forever.
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Devan
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