Why Retire Tembo and Sunda from the Topeka Zoo to The Elephant Sanctuary?

Here are just a few compelling and urgent reasons why Tembo and Sunda should be given the gift of freedom to live their remaining years at The Elephant Sanctuary:

Poor health and possibility of premature death at the zoo: Tembo and Sunda are running out of time. They shouldn’t have to wait any longer. Sunda, the 49+-year-old Asian elephant suffers chronic foot disease and shows “deterioration of digits” (bones) in one foot (Topeka Zoo Program Manual).  40-year old Tembo also suffers from foot problems caused by lack of space and long hours standing on hard surfaces. Both have chronic temporal gland abscesses and experience severe psychological stress. That is why they rock back and forth and display neurotic, repetitive behaviors that are never seen in free elephants. These and other problems in captive elephants cause tremendous suffering and premature death. Foot problems are among the leading reasons for euthanizing elephants in captivity. No one wants these elephants to die at the zoo, but it is a very real possibility.

In 2000, the Topeka Zoo’s AZA accreditation was tabled, and in 2001 it was tabled again for six months due to low level of staffing and resultant concern about adequacy of veterinary care, the need for more training (to bring employees up to industry standards), and the need for completion of training for the elephant care staff and the need to improve management/staff relations.

In 2002, the zoo was trying to fill 12 keeper positions at the same time. However, the AZA apparently accredited the zoo that year. The recent 2009 AZA inspection continued to cite personnel problems, the need for more veterinary care, and serious morale problems among employees. The USDA 2009 inspection found numerous problems associated with animal care. This further underlines the urgency of getting the elephants to a sanctuary. At a sanctuary, the soft soil and wide open spaces in which to roam will arrest their foot deterioration and bring healing both physically and psychologically. The USDA also cited them for inadequate health records, so these elephants may be even sicker than we know.

Lack of Space: The Topeka Zoo provides less than 3/4 of an acre for the world's largest land mammal that travel tens of miles a day in the wild. City of Topeka spokesman, David Bevens told the media “The elephant yard is what it is…We’re providing the best exhibit that we can within the limited space that we have at that site.” Catherine Doyle of In Defense of Animals responded, “When ‘the best we can’ causes this kind of suffering, it’s time to recognize it isn’t nearly enough.”

Climate: Elephants are tropical animals not suited to Topeka’s long, frigid winters. Tembo and Sunda will spend the majority of their time indoors in tiny cages during the winter months, which greatly exacerbates foot problems.  Zoo visitors are unable to view the elephants when they are indoors. The huge expense to keep the elephants goes on every month even though the public cannot see them for nearly half the year.

Species Differences: Tembo is African and Sunda is Asian, a mix not recommended due to behavioral differences between the species. In fact, zoo records show that Tembo and Sunda have regularly displayed aggression towards one another, sometimes resulting in injuries (see Medical History link).

Retirement: Sunda has been on display at Topeka Zoo for more than 45 years, and Tembo for more than 35 years. The photo above shows them in their cage where they  were housed for many years prior to building the new elephant barn, which is slightly bigger. For decades, these elephants were chained almost 24/7. These elephants deserve a chance to retire with dignity to a facility where they can live out their lives much closer to the way nature intended. Elephants, like human beings, live in multi-faceted societies. They are highly intelligent, possess complex needs and emotions, have exceptional memory and live unusually long lives. They can remember other individuals after more than a decade of separation, and are capable of emotions such as joy, anger, grief, sympathy, playfulness and revenge. Numerous scientific observations suggest that: (1) Elephants recognize their own image in a mirror indicating that elephants are self-aware, (2) Elephants have the capacity for both empathy and anticipatory planning, including the possibility of imagining future events such as pain to themselves and others; they mourn when one of them dies and (3) Elephants suffer long-term psychological effects of trauma and abuse which may be expressed in the form of inappropriate and hostile behavior. Everything that is important to elephants is lacking in a zoo environment.

Elephant Exhibit Closures: To date, 22 zoos have closed or plan to close their elephant exhibits, including major urban zoos in Detroit, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York and Anchorage. Eleven zoos have sent 15 elephants to sanctuaries. Most of the zoos are still AZA-accredited.

AZA, USDA, and Sanctuaries: There are two USDA licensed sanctuaries in the U.S.—The Elephant Sanctuary and The Performing Animal Welfare Sanctuary. They are not zoos so they do not need AZA accreditation. The conditions at the sanctuaries far exceed AZA standards. The zoo does not need approval from the AZA or the USDA to retire the elephants. Because both Tembo and Sunda are beyond the age for breeding (age 35 for elephants who have never had a baby), they are technically considered “surplus” animals according to AZA standards. While the approval of the AZA is not required, their recognition of the elephants’ status as “surplus,” may encourage the AZA to support the move. The zoos that have closed their exhibits have not lost their AZA accreditation as a result. The AZA is an industry trade group. Their job is to promote zoos. They have no regulatory power over them. They make money from zoos paying for their accreditation. They do not want to lose members. So they are not unbiased in their inspections.

The Elephant Sanctuary: The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee is the nation's largest natural-habitat refuge developed specifically to meet the needs of endangered elephants. It is a non-profit organization, licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and accredited by the Association of Sanctuaries, designed specifically for old, sick or needy elephants who have been retired from zoos and circuses. Utilizing more than 2,700 acres, it provides three separate and protected natural-habitat environments for Asian and African elephants. Their residents are not required to perform or entertain for the public.  Instead, they are encouraged to live like elephants.  TES has a world renowned veterinarian and elephant expert on staff, Dr. Susan Mikota. Their website is http://www.elephants.com/.

Freeing Topeka Elephants a Win-Win-Win

Time to really “see” the proverbial elephant in the living room. 
 

Animal Outreach of Kansas (AOK) proposes a win-win-win for the Topeka Zoo, the elephants and the City.  It’s an idea whose time has come. Across the country, some of the most famous and progressive zoos, including San Francisco, Detroit, and many others have given a wonderful gift to their elephants. They have recognized that their elephant exhibits were simply inadequate to fulfill the complex needs of the elephants, and they have sent them to sanctuaries where they can live out their lives in social groups, roam over the vast hills, bathe in the ponds, and heal psychologically and physically from the many years of confinement.

The win-win-win for:

1. The City:  Increased respect for the City and the Zoo for showing compassion and progressive thinking. After the Detroit Zoo retired its elephants to a sanctuary, they experienced no drop in donations or zoo visitors. Due to foot disease, Tembo and/or Sunda could die prematurely if kept at the zoo.  AOK believes this is a tremendous opportunity for the Zoo and the City of Topeka to show the world that the Topeka Zoo truly cares for their elephants and wants to put their welfare first, and that they realize their first priority should be to get Tembo & Sunda back into as normal an environment as possible, instead of living an unnatural life in captivity.

2. The Zoo: More funds for the Zoo to spend on other animals and their enclosures. Most zoos spend an average of $60,000 per elephant each year. Older elephants like Tembo and Sunda can cost over $100,000 each per year. The LA Zoo spends $156,000 each year on one elephant. The Elephant Sanctuary will pay all expenses for moving and caring for the elephants for the rest of their lives at no cost to the City or Zoo.

3. The Elephants: Well deserved peace at last, room to roam, healing, a climate suited to them, companionship, and a chance for real happiness.  If the zoo installed a monitor or TV, zoo visitors could watch the elephants on the 24-hour Elecam at The Elephant Sanctuary and observe what Tembo and Sunda in a natural environment.  While zoo visitors would no longer be able to see the elephants in person, neither would many of us be able to see a blue whale up close.  Huge animals such as these need huge spaces that cannot be found in city zoos.