Regardless of the love, the care, the adherence to standards, elephants in zoos suffer.
Oakland is no exception.
JULY 9, 2024: BREAKING NEWS…THE OAKLAND ZOO will be sending its last elephant, osh, to the elephant SANCTUARY IN TENNESSEE. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION. For the time being, i will be leaving this site up. but my heart is full. the oakland zoo has joined many others in the united states and is doing the right thing. thank you, oakland zoo and specifically thank you to colleen kinzley, v.p. animal care, conservation and research.
Elephants.
Majestic and soulful, they are the largest mammal—by twofold—that walks the earth. One elephant can weigh up to 18,000 pounds and reach thirteen feet in height. They are intelligent, long lived, empathetic, family oriented creatures that, in the wild, live in large complex social networks.
It has become clear that holding them in captivity—in zoos only a few acres large where thousands of acres are needed—is, plain and simple, not ethical.
In late 2019, M’Dunda, at the time Oakland’s oldest female elephant died. There remained three until Lisa, next eldest female, was humanely, euthanized in March 2023 after a long battle with various illnesses. There now remains two elephants: Donna and Osh (a bull) in our zoo. With Donna set to go to sanctuary in June 2023. Osh will remain alone with potentially more male elephants being acquired. Unfortunately, despite all the good intentions, despite the love, the care, the lack of predation and the “enriched” environment and all the marketing that might make it seem otherwise, no elephant thrives in captivity like a zoo. Oakland has had elephants for decades now but we’ve learned a lot in the past forty years. Primarily that to be elephants, elephants need space.
Oakland is known for doing the right thing.
Continuing its elephant exhibit is not the right thing.
““Everything about elephants, their physique, social structure, foraging, reproductive behavior, communication and even their cognitive abilities, is adapted to moving through space on the order of landscapes.” (Joyce Poole, Elephant Researcher) ”
The elephant in the room is precisely that—the elephant in the room. Even the best zoos like Oakland’s cannot offer elephants what is required.
Animal advocate Jim Karani of WildlifeDirect in Kenya states that the important question is not whether or not animals can reason or talk but can they suffer. “Our confinement of elephants shows they can and do.”
For a self aware species like the elephant, an animal that understands both life and death, an animal that can empathize, contemplate, plan, negotiate and grieve, living out their days in captivity is anguishing.
“We believe you do not know the true personality or soul of a zoo elephant, not allowed the freedom to be who they truly are. What you see is not who they are, what you see is everything they’ve lost. At sanctuary w/space & security to heal, some become unrecognizable.”
Executive Director of the Detroit Zoo, Ron Kagan spent millions of dollars and many years trying to incrementally expand and improve their elephant exhibit until mounting evidence became overwhelming. “No matter how much we love elephants and want to be near elephants and see elephants, we said this is just fundamentally wrong for us to do this.”
In 2004 they moved their elephants to sanctuary.
The trend is clear. Elephant exhibits are closing down.
In the United States, since 1991, zoos have been shuttering their elephant exhibits. Thirty three zoos have done so so far with two more on the cusp.
Oakland, a sanctuary city, is a city known for doing the right thing.
The right thing is no longer saying yes to elephants in zoos.
The right thing is to no longer acquire any more elephants and to phase out the elephant exhibit in Oakland.
UPDATES:
FEBRUARY 2020 MEETING:
Some good news: On February 11, 2020 The Oakland Zoo met with a team of concerned citizens. It does not appear that the Zoo has plans to add elephants, breed elephants or expand the exhibit. A summary of the meeting can be found here.
MAY 2020 ADDING A GIRAFFE:
On May 7, 2020 the Oakland Zoo added a two year old female giraffe, Kijiji, from the Kansas based Lee Richardson Zoo. They are hoping for a "love connection" with a male named Mabusu in a couple of years. Having giraffe, per the Zoo, is a way to bring "awareness and appreciation." Again, similar to elephants, we must ask—at what price for the existing herd as well as for the potential future calf that will be born into captivity.
MARCH 2023 LISA’S DEATH:
On March 26, 2023, the Oakland Zoo euthanized Lisa, the second of two remaining female elephants which now leaves only Donna. It is both a very sad time but also a critical juncture. One thing Colleen Kinzley, Vice President of Animal Care at the Zoo stated in our February 2020 meeting is that she would never leave an elephant to live solo. And while Osh (a male) and Donna get along, it is unclear as to whether or not this qualifies as being alone or not. Generally male and female elephants are not housed together as males, when they come into musth (into season) can become aggressive and dangerous. Does this mean the Oakland Zoo sends Donna to sanctuary? Or does the Oakland Zoo acquire more elephants?
MAY 2023 SENDING DONNA TO SANCTUARY: On May 3rd the Oakland Zoo announced that they are sending Donna to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Progress! They are, however, planning to get more male elephants to keep Osh company. This is the plan—but it’s not pressing. More to come.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2023: Donna arrives at Sanctuary! More information here.
JULY 9, 2023: Oakland Zoo announces its last elephant, Osh, will be going to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee!
Act Now. Write to the Zoo and ask what the future plans are for the elephants.
The journey towards freedom begins one step at a time.