Sending Chai and Bamboo to the Oklahoma City Zoo puts them in an even more harmful environment.
AS a lifelong advocate for animals and someone who has assisted with the rescue of elephants, I was shocked and dismayed to hear the news that the Woodland Park Zoo is trying to send Chai and Bamboo, the two Asian elephants, to the Oklahoma City Zoo. Worse, it intends to move the animals in the cold of winter.
Moving elephants is risky, but there is significantly more danger involved in transporting them in cold weather. In addition to the significant risk of moving Chai and Bamboo now, Oklahoma City is in the heart of Tornado Alley, and has harsh winter weather.
Elephants living in cold-climate zoos are commonly inside a barn for long periods of time. The Oklahoma City Zoo’s female elephant exhibit is only 2.6 acres with four elephants already living in it, so it would provide even less space per animal than Chai and Bamboo currently have at the Seattle zoo.
The leading cause of death in captive elephants is foot infections, joint problems and arthritis, caused by standing on hard substrates in small spaces. Being locked inside during cold weather further adds to the problem. And, if cold weather and tornadoes are not bad enough, the Oklahoma City Zoo hosts loud rock concerts in an amphitheater located near the elephant exhibit.
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Sending Chai and Bamboo to the Oklahoma City Zoo would put the animals in an even more harmful situation than they are in currently. The entire plan is irresponsible, cruel and unnecessary.
The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary located 800 miles south of Seattle has offered to take in Chai and Bamboo and care for them for the rest of their lives. PAWS provides vast spaces for elephants to roam, pasture for grazing, mud and water holes to play in and a warm climate so the elephants do not have to be locked inside in the winter. The sanctuary has been described by world-renowned elephant experts as the closest thing in North America to an elephant’s natural habitat and many call it paradise for elephants. I have personally been involved with the relocation of three elephants from the Toronto Zoo and for another named Maggie who was on death’s door at the Alaska Zoo. I am pleased to report that all four elephants are now thriving at PAWS.
Legal opinions from two separate Seattle law firms indicate that the Seattle City Council has the authority to enact policies that impose conditions on the disposition of zoo animals. Therefore, Mayor Ed Murray and councilmembers are in a position to save Chai and Bamboo from the horrible fate of being transferred to an even worse situation.
I feel certain that the progressive people of Seattle, who are known for their compassion toward animals, would like their elephants to be retired to the best possible facility and moved in the most safe way possible. I hope they will join me in calling on the mayor and council to use their authority to protect Chai and Bamboo and ensure they are retired to the PAWS sanctuary as soon as possible.