Is placing the Asian elephant behind bars the best way to protect it?
Consider the facts: • In the wild Asian elephants have home ranges of between 10-800 square kilomentres. The elephant enclosure at Taronga Zoo in Australia is smaller than an average football field. • Elephants in the wild have up to six calves, compared to just one in captivity. • Up to 25% of Asian elephant births in Europe and North America are stillborn, versus just 2.2% in the wild. Deprived of their habitats and family, a zoo elephant is much more likely to suffer from stress, infertility, boredom and weight problems. No matter how hard they try, zoos cannot meet the complex needs of these highly intelligent and social creatures. Help protect these graceful creatures by letting the Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage know there is a better way. Tell him there is no conservation benefit to captive breeding programs for elephants. There’s still time to keep these elephants out of zoos, but we must act quickly.
