Help Philadelphia Zoo Elephants

The Philadelphia Zoo - the oldest zoo in the U.S. - wants to raise $20 million to replace its cramped, 1940s-era concrete elephant exhibit currently housing four elephants with a new habitat and bring in three additional elephants. Even after renovation, the Philadelphia Zoo elephant exhibit will only be 2.5 acres. There are 640 acres in ONE mile and in the wild, elephants travel up to 30 to 50 miles a day to maintain proper foot, joint and digestive health. Sanctuaries, such as the PAWS elephant sanctuary in Northern California and The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, have hundreds of acres.

Elephants in captivity regularly suffer from chronic arthritis and foot abscesses (the two main causes of death in captive elephants) due to lack of proper exercise and standing on hard surfaces. As explained by a zoo veterinarian:

"As the joints and feet [of zoo elephants] become progressively injured by life spent on a concrete floor, the pain the elephants feel makes them reluctant to move around as much on their sore legs and feet. This creates a vicious circle and downward spiral of pain, followed by less movement, causing further injury, causing more pain, causing even less movement, etc. It is a slow gradual process that does its damage bit-by-bit and this damage continues hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and through the long decades of a zoo elephant's life."

Michael Schmidt, DVM
former Chief Veterinarian
Portland Zoo

Elephants in colder climate zoos such as the Philadelphia Zoo are kept inside for days on end on cold cement during the winter months, suffering extreme boredom and developing irreversible neurotic behaviors.

Worldwide, many elephant exhibits are closing because there is not enough space for the elephants to live properly. In recent years, seven U.S. zoos have permanently closed their elephant exhibits: Detroit Zoo (Michigan); Chehaw Wild Animal Park (Georgia); Henry Vilas Zoo (Wisconsin); Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo (Louisiana); Mesker Park Zoo (Indiana); Frank Buck Zoo (Texas) and the Sacramento Zoo (California). Recognizing elephants' need for vast acreage, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted in 2004 on a 15-acre minimum space requirement for any new San Francisco Zoo elephant enclosure. Rather than throwing money at a still inadequate elephant exhibit, we urge the Philadelphia Zoo to follow San Francisco's lead.