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Circuses & Zoos are Unhealthy Environments for Elephants

By S. R. Morris

Every year elephants escape from zoos, circuses and other unnatural locations. Whenever they do, it always makes the news. Sometimes newspapers and television broadcasters write or talk about the event in humorous ways. But it isn’t really funny.

Earlier this year a 40-year-old Indian elephant named Baby escaped from a circus in Ireland. The newspapers reported that Baby didn’t want to take a bath and needed a coffee break from its keepers.

Sometimes the escapes don’t always end up being something people like to talk about. In 2011, an elephant escaped in Hawaii and injured several people, one fatally. The animal was finally stopped when officials killed the elephant with a hail of bullets.

In 2010, Rosalee the elephant escaped from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Journalists joked about it because she “went to the bathroom” on the Capitol lawn.

If you were an elephant born in your natural environment, you would be accustomed to walking about 10 miles a day. The problem with elephants confined to zoo exhibits, is that they are usually confined to an area less than one acre and in many cases as small your backyard.

One of the major health problems that afflict elephants in captivity is that they often contract foot diseases and/or arthritis. Much of it is due to their inability to walk the distances they are accustomed to walk.

Another problem is to which climate they are subjected. One of the major causes of premature death to elephants in zoos is the cold climate they are forced to endure. The natural environment of an elephant is the warm, temperate regions of Africa and Asia.

Even zoos that force the elephants indoors during the winter, don’t help the elephant’s health. Standing for days, weeks or months on concrete, leads to foot problems, joint disease and arthritis for elephants.

To become more aware of the plight of captive elephants and to help and protect elephants, visit Juliette West’s website at JulietteSpeaks.org or AdoptAnElephant.org.

Copyright 2012 By S. R. Morris