LA Zoo – Elephants of Asia exhibit
The LA Zoo’s ‘Elephants of Asia’ exhibit opened on December 16th 2010. Although the exhibit is larger than the previous elephant exhibit at the zoo, it is still not big enough to give the 3 elephants that currently live at the LA Zoo the room they need, and certainly not big enough for the additional 9 elephants that the zoo says the exhibit will be able to accommodate.
The exhibit, which cost $42 million dollars, covers a total of 6 square acres – only 3.8 of which are outside areas, split up by fences, that the elephants have access to. Given that elephants in the wild travel several tens of miles a day this is a relatively tiny area.
It is evident that the LA Zoo cannot provide the space, exercise or social enrichment needed to preserve elephants’ health and well being. Unfortunately many zoos, including Los Angeles, have responded to the growing controversy over the suffering of elephants in captivity by making plans to expand their exhibits rather than to close their exhibits and move the elephants to sanctuaries. Unfortunately, these expansions will never be sufficient to meet the needs of these amazing animals. Elephants should not be in captivity - period.
LCA is campaigning to permanently close down the elephant exhibit and to stop any more elephants from a life in captivity.LCA is campaigning to permanently close down the elephant exhibit and to stop any more elephants from a life in captivity.
The fate of the Los Angeles Zoo elephants became especially important to local citizens after the death of Tara in December 2004 and Gita in June 2006. For more information about Gita and her death, visit the memorial page.
"The L.A. Zoo exhibit should be closed down permanently so no more elephants have to suffer and die there.”
Chris DeRose, President & Founder LCA
Elephant Deaths at the L.A. Zoo
The elephants at the L.A. Zoo are dying from captivity related diseases; Since 1975, eleven elephants have died at the L.A. Zoo, there are, also, six elephants with unknown histories and incomplete records.
In addition to Gita’s death in 2006 and Ruby in 2011, the most recent elephant death was in December 2004, when Tara was found lying on her side. She passed away shortly afterwards at the young age of 39. Her necropsy shows cause of death as acute heart failure.
The average age of death for L.A. Zoo elephants since 1975 is 22 years. By comparison, a wild elephant’s natural lifespan can be over 70 years.
Learn more about: Wild vs. Captive
