List of Top Ten “Worst” US Zoos Highlights Suffering of Elephants
Receiving support from the likes of Bill Maher and Sarah Silverman, the list exposes the plight of captive elephants, who suffer from a lack of space, unsuitably cold climates and unnatural conditions.
Oregon Zoo’s Chendra with an eye abrasion. Credit: In Defense of Animals.
A list of the “worst” zoos in America has exposed the suffering that elephants face when living in captivity, and shone a spotlight on the ethics of zoos.
The “10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America” was first published in 2004 by campaign group, In Defense of Animals.
Ever since, the annual list has served to raise awareness about the plight of elephants in zoos where lack of space, unsuitably cold climates, and unnatural conditions condemn Earth’s largest land mammals to lifetimes of deprivation, disease, and early death.
This year sees Oregon Zoo top the list, with the likes of Kansas City Zoo and Houston Zoo also making the top ten.
A focus of this year’s entries is the lack of space that the animals have in captivity. Elephants endure many deprivations in zoos, according to In Defense of Animals, but the lack of sufficient space is a major contributor to their suffering, which is supported by a new study co-authored by renowned wildlife biologist Dr. Keith Lindsay.
“Elephants evolved to live in spaces 1,000 to a million times bigger than even a large zoo enclosure of 10 hectares (24.7 acres),” states Dr. Lindsay’s work on the welfare of elephants in captivity states.
Credit: In Defense of Animals
Some of the zoos that made the list have even been called out for so-called “sham” expansions, where they fundraise for larger elephant enclosures, only to fill these spaces with more elephants and breeding facilities. In Defense of Animals says that deceitful zoos are spending vast funds under the pretense of giving elephants more space, but then reportedly stuff the exhibit with breeding elephants and their babies who draw in crowds, but die at a shocking rate.
Bill Maher, Jorja Fox, and Sarah Silverman are among those supporting the “Worst Zoos” campaign, and spoke out against keeping elephants in captivity. “No animal wants to live in a cage. No animal should have to”, says comedian and writer Silverman. “Elephants have feelings and emotions. They feel love and loss. If you want to see an elephant, go to where they live. Watch documentaries about them. Learn all there is to know. But to put them in cages just for your amusement? That’s dark shit. Join me and stand with In Defense of Animals against the captivity of elephants in zoos.”
Oregon Zoo’s Samudra ‘begging’ for bananas. Credit: In Defense of Animals
The full list of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in 2022 is:
Oregon Zoo, Portland, Ore.
Kansas City Zoo, Kansas City, Mo.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Omaha, Neb.
Houston Zoo, Houston, Texas
Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth, Texas
Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, Ind.
Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.
Tulsa Zoo, Tulsa, Okla.
Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, Kan.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio
The group’s president is hopeful for a kinder future for North America’s captive elephants.
“Elephants need vast spaces, way more than any zoo can provide,” says Marilyn Kroplick, President of In Defense of Animals. “We encourage zoos to look to accredited elephant sanctuaries which respect elephant autonomy, do not breed elephants or put them on public display, and provide hundreds or even thousands of acres for elephants to roam. No zoo can meet an elephant’s basic needs, so we call on all remaining zoos with elephants to commit to phase out their exhibits and send elephants to accredited sanctuaries where they can live a much more natural life.”
Milwaukee Zoo. Credit: In Defense of Animals
Attitudes Are Changing Towards Zoos and Animal Captivity
Awareness around the ethics of animals in captivity has increased in recent years, with the likes of orca shows, roadside zoos, and animal circuses having faced intense criticism from both animal welfare campaigners and the public.
This change in attitude towards animal captivity has led to a wave of change. The iconic Ringling Bros Circus announced it would be making its comeback this year - but for the first time in its 146 year-run will not feature any animals and will focus on human feats instead.
The worldwide coverage of the Netflix hit Tiger King, ultimately led to many of its stars facing legal issues and the surrender of hundreds of captive animals. The momentum of the Tiger King phenomenon would go on to inspire the successful passing of the Big Cat Safety Act late last year, which prohibits the private ownership of big cats like tigers and lions, as well as restricting public contact with them such as cub handling.
And in Canada, the so-called “Free Willy” bill passed back in 2019, and outlawed the trade, possession, capture and breeding of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The bill effectively ended the practise of using cetaceans for entertainment or keeping them in captivity. Now, Canadian animal campaigners are also aiming to pass the “Jane Goodall Act”, which would offer sweeping reforms to zoos in the country, including the phasing out of keeping elephants in captivity. Several prominent zoos in Canada have already backed the new bill.
Why are zoos under increased scrutiny? Listen to our podcast episode “Captivity Sucks”, where we speak with Devan Schowe, Campaigns Associate for Born Free USA, about her extensive work reporting on the suffering of giraffes in US zoos, and why captivity in general is so harmful for animals.
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