KIRO NEWSRADIO: SEATTLE NEWS & ANALYSIS

Do zoos actually do anything to help at-risk elephants in the wild? Experts say no

Feb 22, 2016, 5:58 PM | Updated: Oct 11, 2024, 10:03 am

Chai the elephant at Oklahoma City Zoo(Photo by Gillian Lang)...

Chai the elephant at Oklahoma City Zoo(Photo by Gillian Lang)

(Photo by Gillian Lang)

Over the weekend we learned the cause of death for Chai, the 37-year-old elephant moved from Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo to the Oklahoma City Zoo last year. A necropsy reveals she died of a bacterial infection in her blood.

There has been plenty of controversy surrounding the Woodland Park Zoo elephants, and animal activists argue that elephants shouldn’t be kept in zoos at all.

Zoos in north America are keen to argue that they’re the best place for elephants to live. Unlike sanctuaries, they have breeding programs to replenish elephants being killed in the wild, and they like to talk about the money and awareness they bring to wildlife conservation.

But are zoos actually helping at-risk elephants in Asia and Africa? Elephants in danger of being poached for ivory, elephants that lose their homes and lives due to development or conflicts with farmers?

Rob Laidlaw says zoos aren’t doing much. He is the executive director of Zoo Check, a Toronto-based wildlife protection organization focused on saving elephants in the wild and in captivity.

“When you add up the amounts they’re spending on keeping elephants in captivity and compare that to the actual contribution they’re making to elephants in the wild, I think it’s laughable that they would call themselves elephant conservationists,” Laidlaw said.

“The National Zoo in Washington D.C., newspapers reported that the new elephant facility, which is very small, cost about $50 million. If you go to many zoo websites, you’ll see that they advertise their contributions to the International Elephant Foundation. Well, according to their own website, the IEF has said that since 1999 they’ve provided about $2 million in funding to elephant conservation. I don’t know what that comprises exactly, but let’s just say it is protecting elephants in the field. That’s not a very big contribution, it works out to about $133,000 a year.”

He recognizes that $2 million is better than nothing, but he doesn’t think incarcerating 325 elephants in North America is the solution to protecting the elephants struggling in the wild.

Laidlaw talks about what action must be taken to help elephants in countries where they are being killed.

“We fund anti-poaching patrols in lower Zambezi. That consists of hiring aircraft to go out and to look for poachers, to look for dead elephants, dead rhinos. But there’s also a need to get more people on the ground, actually engaged in protecting animals. There are many protected areas in parts of the world that are protected in name only because they have very few or no staff actually out there protecting them. So we need people on the ground and obviously, those people need Jeeps, they need fuel, they need uniforms, they need guns. But then you’ve also got people who are smugglers. You need far more protected spaces, better laws within each country aimed at dealing with these issues.”

He thinks the time has come to eliminate elephant programs from all zoos.

“We found that on average, people at the Toronto Zoo were looking at the elephants for 77 seconds. The zoo did an internal poll and they found out that the visitors actually didn’t care what was in the zoo. They just wanted to come see animals, they didn’t care if elephants were there or not.”

But zoos wouldn’t have to shut down entirely.

“Very recently in Yokohama, Japan, a wildlife facility called the Orbi Zoo opened and they have no live animals and it’s quite an experience. They have theaters where all the seats move and they pump in smells. There’s another facility that has a sensorium where you hear all the auditory sounds that elephants make but then you also feel rumbling through your body, the infrasound made by elephants. There’s also – in Japan – something called indoor whale watching that involves life-size, giant screens. There are all kinds of things that are available now that zoos in North America don’t seem to be interested in at all.”

Laidlaw thinks zoos will eventually change their ways, but it will be a long, slow process.

If you’d like to donate to wildlife conservation efforts, instead of giving your money to zoos, he endorses Conservation Lower Zambezi, African Wildlife Foundation, World Animal Ne and, of course, Zoo Check.

KIRO Newsradio: Seattle News & Analysis

Photo: The man, who Seattle police have not named, walking onto the ice rink at the Kraken Communit...

Sam Campbell

Seattle police to recommend assault charges for dad who shoved youth hockey refs

A father will likely face assault charges after he shoved two youth hockey referees, according to an SPD report.

1 hour ago

Photo: Gee Scott roasted Velveeta cheese ahead of Super Bowl Sunday....

Frank Lenzi

‘Your food is unseasoned’: Gee Scott roasts Velveeta lovers ahead of Super Bowl Sunday

If you’re looking for a Super Bowl Party where the hosts are serving Velveeta, you won’t find it at Gee Scott's house.

3 days ago

Photo: Seattle Children's Hospital is one hospital impacted by Trump's executive order blocking fed...

Julia Dallas

‘It’s disgusting’: WA Attorney General’s Office sparks legal battle against Trump order on gender-affirming care

The AG's Office announced it is filing a lawsuit to stop an executive order from the Trump administration that halts federal funding for gender-affirming care.

3 days ago

Photo: Sweden's Martin Haarahiltunen in red is riding inside Finland's Max Koivula and Austria's Fr...

Paul Holden

Weekend festivities: Undie run, pinball, ice racing and more!

Maybe you've been stuck inside this week enjoying the snow and are ready to get out and enjoy the weekend, well you are in luck!

4 days ago

Photo: Seattle Sounders FC fans cheers for his team at the stadium during the match between Toronto...

Matt Markovich

A fart tax? State lawmaker suggests sports fans pay up for methane emissions

A Republican lawmaker made an unusual suggestion during a public hearing Thursday on a bill that could lead to a fart tax on cows.

4 days ago

Photo: A cell in the King County Jail can be seen in a recent photo....

Matt Markovich

Justice vs. safety: Washington lawmakers clash over sentencing reform bill

A bill advanced in Olympia that may lead to a floor vote on one of the most significant law and justice bills of this session. It involves sentencing reform.

4 days ago

Do zoos actually do anything to help at-risk elephants in the wild? Experts say no