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.