Elephant advocates think death at Woodland Park Zoo could have been prevented

The death of an elephant at the Woodland Park Zoo has advocates concerned about how closely the animals are monitored.

The zoo says Watoto, a 45-year-old African elephant, was euthanized on Friday after staff members arrived to find her lying down in the exhibit and not able to stand upright. They say they tried to stand her up with cloth straps and heavy machinery, but health teams eventually believed she would only become more uncomfortable, and she was put down.

Alyne Fortgang, the co-founder of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, who held a vigil and protest outside the zoo on Saturday, tells KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson that if Watoto had been found sooner, she may have survived.

“If they had gotten her up sooner, there’s a chance she could have lived because what happens when elephants go down is the weight of their bodies causes their organs to be crushed or causes them to suffocate. It’s critical to get an elephant up as soon as possible.”

Fortgang says at some other zoos and sanctuaries, elephants are monitored 24/7. Considering the Woodland Park Zoo elephants are old by zoo standards, she says they should have been monitored around the clock. Fortgang thinks a quick response could have made a difference.

“We’re quite concerned about what the protocols are at the zoo for handling emergencies like this,” says Fortgang.

Monson says he plans to reach out to the zoo to see what procedures they follow.

The findings from a full necropsy will be released in the coming weeks. Fortgang says Watoto suffered from a number of ailments including arthritis, joint inflammation, Colic, and most recently she lost a tusk in an accident while in an elephant restraining device.

Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants claim Watoto’s exhibit was an “exceptionally poor environment” and its cramped quarters contributed to her suffering a “host of captivity related diseases.”

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray expressed his condolences on the loss of the elephant and also indicated he hoped the conversation regarding the issue would continue, in a statement on Friday.

“I do believe that today’s news should reopen a dialogue in this city about the proper habitat for elephants,” Murray said.

The zoo said Watoto, which is Swahili for “children,” was born in Kenya between 1969 and 1970 and came to Seattle in 1971 as an orphan. She was considered to be the matriarch of the zoo’s herd.

The median life span is 17 years for African female elephants born in captivity, compared to 56 years in the Amboseli National Park population, according to the National Geographic.