Zurich Zoo: Another Elephant Calf Death
At Zurich Zoo, a newborn elephant calf was trampled to death by the herd shortly after birth. The second death within four months.
Two deaths in four months: At Zurich Zoo, elephant Omysha gave birth to her calf on Wednesday, 19 August 2020.
Shortly after the birth, a dynamic developed within the herd that resulted in the elephant calf being trampled to death.
It was only in April that a newborn elephant died at the same Zurich Zoo, presumably under similar circumstances. PETA sharply criticises elephant breeding: The unnatural living conditions in zoos repeatedly lead to health problems for these sensitive animals. Elephants born in zoos are also not released into the wild. Against this backdrop, the animal rights organisation criticises the keeping of elephants in captivity and calls for a ban on breeding and importing elephants into zoological institutions.
«Elephant breeding in zoos is a dead end. The keeping conditions are extremely unnatural, and many of these sensitive animals are also subjected to the elephant hook. Every year, millions in taxpayer money flow into the keeping of these animals. If the money were invested directly in elephant conservation in Africa and Asia, thousands of animals could be protected from poaching every year».
Dr. Yvonne Würz, on behalf of PETA Switzerland.
Baby animals as visitor attractions: zoos exploit elephants for offspring
These grey giants suffer so greatly under captivity that they rarely reproduce. Many zoos therefore resort to force: under full anaesthesia, an electric probe is inserted into the rectum of male animals and an electroejaculation is triggered by applying an electric current. The female elephants are then artificially inseminated in a distressing and invasive procedure, in some cases more than 100 times per animal, in order to induce pregnancy.
Furthermore, breeding animals in captivity undermines the goals of species conservation. Some facilities still import elephants caught in the wild today, thereby contributing to their disappearance in nature. PETA demands that taxpayer funds be invested directly in species conservation projects in the countries of origin of endangered animal species, in order to secure their survival there.
According to a scientific study, the average lifespan of African elephants in zoos is 17 years – in the wild, however, they live an average of 54 years, during which they inhabit large territories and travel up to 80 kilometres per day. In captivity, these highly social and intelligent wild animals cannot satisfy their need for movement and suffer under a daily routine defined by boredom and frustration. Many elephants in zoos develop behavioural disorders, such as monotonous swaying back and forth (weaving), or diseases like tuberculosis, herpes, foot conditions and obesity. Meanwhile, no elephant from a European zoo has yet been successfully reintroduced into the wild.
Part of PETA’s motto is: animals are not here for our entertainment or to be exploited by us in any other form. The organisation is fundamentally opposed to keeping elephants in zoos, as this is not possible in a species-appropriate manner regardless of the housing conditions involved. In the wild, elephants live in stable social groups, travel many kilometres daily and experience a wide variety of environmental stimuli. Zoo life, by contrast, is characterised by a lack of exercise, insufficient mental stimulation and disrupted social structures. Many elephants in zoos suffer from severe behavioural disorders, which manifest among other things in so-called weaving, where the animals sway their head and body back and forth. Unnaturally prolonged standing causes foot and joint diseases; stress and obesity are the main reasons why elephants in zoos die on average significantly earlier than their counterparts in the wild.
