El Paso Zoo has a dark history when it comes to elephants – one filled with abuse and pain. Most notable was the vicious beating of Sissy in 1999, caught on videotape for the entire world to see. Disturbingly, key players in that abuse continue to work in management positions at the Zoo today.
Based on records received from El Paso Zoo, it is apparent that the Zoo’s two Asian elephants, Savannah, age 52, and Juno, age 37, are victim to poor management decisions that are seriously affecting the quality of their training and overall care. Records show that even routine procedures are performed using "behavioral restraint" – which can include the use of chains. This is not surprising, considering the circus-style domination training that was being employed at the Zoo. In addition, according to local citizens, Savannah and Juno spend their days confined to a yard of less than one acre with inadequate shade structures to protect them from the blazing El Paso sun.
ELEPHANT HEALTH PROBLEMS
Both Savannah and Juno have health problems. Savannah suffers from captivity-induced arthritis and nail cracks. These problems are caused by lack of movement and years of walking on hard, unyielding surfaces such as concrete and hard-packed earth. Arthritis and foot problems are the leading cause of euthanasia in captive elephants in the U.S.
Juno has had a steady history of health problems since her arrival in 2002. And medical records show that in 2004 Juno nearly died while under anesthesia for simple foot maintenance and treatment of an abscess. Anesthesia is not normally needed for these routine procedures. Proper management requires that important basic care such as foot maintenance be performed routinely. This is apparently not being done because of inadequate training methods. Most recently, Juno was reported to have an unexplained lesion on her trunk, not inconsistent with misuse of a bullhook. Lesions on her flank were explained by the Zoo as being caused by “injections.”
Another El Paso Zoo elephant, Mona, died in 2001 under suspect conditions. Her necropsy (autopsy) revealed severe arthritis, loss of joint cartilage, bone on bone contact, thick brittle tendons, loss of musculature in the hind limbs, spinal cord necrosis (tissue death) and kidney necrosis. According to medical records and statements from Zoo personnel, Mona received absolutely no medical care for two months before her death, in spite of multiple medical problems. The cause of her spinal cord injury remains a mystery. According to a former zoo employee, Mona had endured the same horrible training/beating sessions that Sissy received.
THE SOLUTION
It’s time for El Paso Zoo to close its elephant exhibit and put a permanent end to its terrible history of elephant suffering. Savannah and Juno must be transferred to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, where they can move freely on hundreds of acres in a naturalistic environment, socialize with other Asian elephants, and enjoy relative freedom for the first time in their lives.
