People will pay fistfuls of cash to see a baby anything. When a female Asian elephant was born at the Woodland Park Zoo in 2000, the zoo’s “name the baby elephant” contest generated nearly 16,000 entries. Zoo employees privately proposed naming her Cash Cow—female elephants are called cows—but she was officially named Hansa, meaning “supreme happiness” in Thai. (Asian elephants are native to the hot jungles of Southeast Asia and India.) After Hansa’s birth, attendance at the Woodland Park Zoo doubled. Then, at age 6, Hansa was found dead in the elephant barn by zookeepers. Her death was caused by elephant herpes, a disease that kills nearly 90 percent of infected young Asian elephants in captivity and was likely passed on through her mother, Chai, a wild Asian elephant gifted to the zoo in 1980.
The zoo has tried to artificially inseminate Chai at least 57 times since acquiring her, according to a lawsuit that will have its first hearing on May 27. (The lawsuit is the source of the allegation about employees calling the baby Cash Cow.) All those attempts to get Chai knocked up have resulted in only one live birth (Hansa) and many miscarriages. “These miscarriages have caused Chai to suffer both physical and psychological pain,” the suit alleges.
Elephants—intelligent, self-aware, and capable of empathy—mourn their dead, from stillborns to old matriarchs. In captivity and the wild, they’ve been observed rocking and keening over stillborns. “That’s not an anthropomorphic exaggeration,” says Dr. Gay Bradshaw, the author of Elephants on the Edge, which explores elephant psychology and behavior in captivity and the wild. “Elephants have a capacity psychologically and emotionally that’s comparable to ours.” When Hansa died, her mother and the other elephants were given time alone to smell and touch her body to pay their last respects. (Presumably, there’s a 90 percent chance that will happen again if Chai gives birth again—the zoo’s most recent attempt to impregnate her was in March.)
Chai lives with two other female elephants—Bamboo and Watoto—in the Woodland Park Zoo’s one-acre elephant enclosure, whimsically named the Thai Village. You get there by following the Trail of Vines past the swimming grotto and through the Elephant Forest. But the exhibit isn’t as idyllic as its Candy Land–ish name portends: The enclosure consists of grubby fields, a concrete pool, and the Elephant Barn, where Chai, Bamboo, and Watoto hide out when temperatures dip below 40 degrees.
“Is he dancing?” a child in front of the Elephant Barn’s large Plexiglas windows asked her mother the other day. In the barn’s shower room, Bamboo rocked gently in place, her head pointed at the wall. Picture books don’t prepare children for real-life elephants—their sparse hair, canyon-deep wrinkles, or magnificent bigness. The elephants tower over the children like breathing buildings.
“He is dancing!” Mom replied.
The zoo argues that the elephant exhibit is important because elephants are endangered and their presence helps educate the public and spur conservation efforts. But the education element in the Thai Village is pretty sparse—nothing you couldn’t learn from a children’s book—and it’s printed on plaques no one reads. “There have been empirical studies of how long people stay at exhibits, and if they read the signs, that show people don’t learn much from the exhibits,” says Matthew Liebman, the Animal Legal Defense Fund lawyer handling the lawsuit. A 2010 study in the peer-reviewed journal Society & Animals with Dr. Lori Marino as its lead author concurs—finding that “there is no compelling evidence to date that zoos and aquariums promote attitude changes, education, or interest in conservation in their visitors, despite claims to the contrary.”
Even the mom and her kid looking at Bamboo haven’t learned a thing about her—like, for instance, Bamboo is not a he. And for what it’s worth, Bamboo is not dancing. The movement Bamboo is making is “an exhibition of profound distress or trauma,” explains Dr. Bradshaw. Captive elephants exhibit a host of specific behaviors, Dr. Bradshaw continues, including lethargy, aggression, and “behaviors consistent with people who are held captive and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. We see the same in elephants.”
While Bamboo rocked in the shower room, Watoto and Chai were stretching their trunks into lofted barrels of alfalfa inside the barn’s main room, pulling out tufts of food and tucking it into their mouths. Occasionally, Watoto stopped eating to pace the room. Watoto and Chai weigh more than 8,000 pounds and are between 12 and 15 feet long. The space in the barn they share is smaller than a tennis court. Watoto can’t easily turn around with Chai in the room. She must back up instead—an elephant in reverse. Even though elephants are incredibly social creatures, Bamboo and Watoto don’t get along and must be separated at all times, so there’s very little socializing.
Experts with the World Wildlife Fund estimate that elephants in captivity should have a minimum of 247 acres to roam. Elephants are accustomed to walking up to 20 miles a day in the wild, and daily walks keep their feet healthy. The lawsuit charges that Chai, Bamboo, and Watoto sharing a single acre has caused preventable foot and joint problems. “Bamboo and Watoto both suffer from osteoarthritis, a degenerative and painful joint disease,” the suit states. “Bamboo and Chai suffer from… pockets of fluid and pus that often develop above the nails of the foot or underneath the foot and are very painful.” Elephant osteoarthritis and foot abscesses are caused by standing on hard surfaces, lack of movement, excessive moisture, and excess weight, the suit contends.
Moreover, Highway 99 runs right past Woodland Park Zoo’s elephant enclosure. Elephants use their feet to communicate, and local animal rights activists say the constant traffic vibrations contribute to their abusive environment. “We have no idea how those vibrations affect them,” says Alyne Fortgang, codirector of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, one of three local groups that has unsuccessfully lobbied since 2005 to get the zoo’s elephants retired to a 2,700-acre elephant sanctuary in Tennessee, one of two such sanctuaries in the nation. (Fortgang is not a party to the current lawsuit.) “But common sense tells us it can’t be a perk of the environment.”
Lawsuits filed by activists against zoos are nothing new, but last year Mary Sebek and Nancy Farnam took the unusual step of filing suit not against the zoo but against the City of Seattle—only the second lawsuit in the country taken out against a city for supporting “illegal zoo practices.” (The other lawsuit is in Los Angeles and also concerns elephant welfare; it’s currently in litigation.)
In spite of protests from activists for years, the zoo flatly refuses to send its elephants to the Tennessee sanctuary. The zoo did send a fourth elephant it owns, Sri, to the Saint Louis Zoo in 2002, but not because it could provide a better home for her. The zoo sent her there to make baby elephants as part of an inter-zoo breeding program. At one point in Saint Louis, Sri became pregnant, but her full-term fetus died in utero. Surgery to remove the fetus would be incredibly complicated, expensive, and risky—it’s simply not done. Instead, most elephants succumb to infection caused by the decaying fetus inside them and die. Surprisingly, Sri has not died. According to the lawsuit, “Sri has been carrying the deceased, slowly mummifying fetus in her birth canal for more than four years.”
The aim of Sebek and Farnam’s suit is to halt the $6.5 million flow of taxpayer funds that the zoo gets annually. “The city owes the public not to waste public dollars or misuse public space,” says Liebman, the Animal Legal Defense Fund lawyer. “We’re arguing that the city is funding the private zoo society to indulge in illegal practices. It’s not in the public’s best interest.” The lawsuit claims the zoo violates state and local animal cruelty laws by “knowingly and recklessly inflicting unnecessary pain and suffering on its elephants.” The suit cites abusive breeding practices, exposure to beatings, extended periods of confinement, subjecting the elephants to the “severe and chronic foot and joint injuries” mentioned earlier, as well as “unexplained physical trauma and bleeding, and sustained psychological harm.”
I tried to get the Woodland Park Zoo’s side of the story, but when I asked how much revenue the elephants bring in, a zoo representative declined to comment, citing the lawsuit (the zoo is a codefendant). When I inquired if I could ask more general questions about the zoo, another declined and sent me a press release, which states:
Woodland Park Zoo vigorously disputes the plaintiffs’ characterization of our elephant care program. Our elephants are healthy and thriving—they have healthy appetites, they play, they socialize, they vocalize, and they interact with their herd mates and keepers. We are committed to the lifelong and day-to-day care of our elephants… As an institution accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), which sets the highest standards of animal care for all species, our zoo meets or exceeds all of AZA’s Standards for Elephant Management and Care.
“Accreditation doesn’t mean they have the elephants’ best interests in mind,” Liebman counters. “The AZA is essentially a trade organization—its job is to promote zoos. Elephants are marquee attractions—they make money. So the AZA has fought almost every attempt to move elephants out of zoos. Even in Detroit, where elephants have no place being, they’ve fought transferring them.”
The Detroit Zoo is the only zoo in the nation to voluntarily retire all of its elephants to a sanctuary. The Bronx Zoo has stated that it will shut down its two-acre elephant exhibit once the elephants living there now die off. Even the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma acknowledges that elephants need more room to roam than it can provide and is exploring “transitioning away” from keeping elephants (again, once its current elephants die off).
“We’d like to have more space—our yard is about an acre—but our footprint doesn’t allow much for expansion,” says John Houck, deputy director of the Point Defiance Zoo. There are also only about 150 Asian elephants nationally, and captive breeding programs just aren’t working, he says. “We need to see about nine calves born a year, nationwide, and we’re averaging about two. It’s really a numbers game. When we lose these two current elephants, what will we do?”
Still, the Woodland Park Zoo has no plans to retire its elephants or expand its space. It continues to try to breed more babies on its one-acre plot.
On April 25, the City Attorney’s Office and the zoo filed a joint motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The motion will be considered by King County Superior Court judge Mike Heavey on May 27. “Plaintiff’s belief that zoos should not house or breed elephants is a political, policy debate not justifiable in this Court,” the motion states. Zoo officials boast that over one million people visit the Woodland Park Zoo annually. “If people are to care about elephants, they need to learn about elephants. Accredited zoos provide a powerful venue that inspires conservation learning, interest, and action.”
“If you want to learn about elephant behavior, go read a book,” says Dr. Bradshaw. “Learning isn’t an excuse for cruelty. If you want a healthy elephant, you don’t put them in a zoo.” 
This article has been updated since its original publication.
Thank you so much for your article! I’ve been following the plight of these elephants for some time now.
My conclusion is, after the protests and all the evidence given, the only reason I can think of that WPZ would NOT send these poor elephants to the sanctuary is that they are just pissed off and don’t want to be told what to do. Pure and simple spite.
I like the Zoo. I like elephants. the larger the animal, the more difficult it is to keep it sane in a zoo. Its a quandry. I do think that the elephants at the WPZ seem less mentally challenged or stimulated than at other zoos.
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN COMMENT BOMBED.
Nearly all of the above commenters have never commented on a Slog piece and joined the site in the past day.
This is par for the course for this elephant-rights group. It kinda sucks, too — I’m sure they have a worthwhile cause, but their idea of marketing/”getting the word out” is ridiculous. Check out a few of the more popular blogs for examples.
Thanks for turning this comments thread into lame propaganda, folks. Really, the elephants deserve better advocates than you.
Certainly, the zookeepers deserve better, too, but that’s a different story.
Dear Elephants,
I am sorry for what we have done to you. Last time I visited you I cried for your suffering. I hope the Zoo Keepers will do the right thing and send you to TN where you can have a better life.
@45: So how is it ridiculous when nearly all commenters here have never commented on another Stranger/Slog piece before? Seems more than a little fishy to my eyes.
BTW: Yikes — sorry for my own comment appearing twice! Where are you, “edit function?”
@meanie – yes but at least in the wild they have the chance to enjoy life, whether or not they get shot. Having seen elephants in the wild in both Africa & Asia, I can say that there are few things so wonderful to witness and they are entirely different creatures than those you see in any zoo. Also, despite the amount of tourism in these areas, they are the places where true conservation, true co-habitation with wildlife is happening, not in zoos. Further, lawsuits serve a few purposes and one of these is to set judicial precedent. If the plaintiff’s win, then an amazing victory for captive animals is on the books.
Elephants, or any animal for that matter, do not belong behind bars for human enjoyment. They are animals and should be allowed to be themselves in their natural habitat.
Thank you for writing this insightful article!
Put them in a bigger space. Man, this makes me sad.
#34, you said, “so everyone who wants them to be happy at the reservation is cool with using Seattle tax dollars to pay for it?” Seattle tax payers wouldn’t pay for it. The Sanctuary will pay all costs for transport of the elephants. Everyone should check out http://www.elephants.com to see what a wonderful place it is, and to see what healthy, happy elephants are like.
#34, you said, “so everyone who wants them to be happy at the reservation is cool with using Seattle tax dollars to pay for it?” Seattle taxpayers would not pay for it. The Elephant Sanctuary has offered to pay all the expenses to transport the elephants. Everyone should go to http://www.elephants.com to see what happy, healthy elephants are really like.
How does it happen that comments get posted twice? Sorry about that.
Great article that nails the horrific conditions the Woodland Park elephants face every day. The Zoo always maintains that they are well cared for and that the keepers love them. No amount of caring and love can fulfill their emotional and physical needs. If only the Zoo cared about what’s best for the elephants instead of their financial bottom line. If they were transfered to a sanctuary, Watato and Bamboo would never have to see each other again, and poor Chai would never be put through another invasive artificial insemination ever again. They could walk for miles and miles and be friends with whomever they choose. Their painful foot problems would disappear. Seattle is such a progressive city but we are WAY behind the times when it comes to our elephants. May justice prevail in the courts!
The Elephant Sanctuary has offered to pay all the expenses: transport and care for life at no cost to the city or the zoo. It’s a win all the way around. The Zoo’s PR dept. could teach our children such an incredible lesson in compassion and selflessness.
Here’s a link to an article about the Pony Rides at WPZ. Perhaps this is an ongoing trend.
http://www.flyingchanges.com/htmls/2004/…
Set them free in Tennessee. It will also free up a lot of land in the zoo for other exhibits for animals in need of attention that are better suited for life in a zoo environment.
Wow! Up until today I have really enjoyed reading the Stranger. While sometimes you guys go over the top and come up with outrageous stories I’ve never considered the possibility you were completely full of shit..until now.
I’ve been a volunteer photographer at the Woodland Park Zoo for about 6 years now. I have actually been in the room while Chai was artificially inseminated and was privileged to witness first hand the passionate and caring Zoo Keepers treating her with dignity, respect and compassion. I witnessed it then and have witnessed the same care during many other encounters with the devoted team of zookeepers. They had a tangible bond with each of the elephants that could never be described in a newspaper article. To imply the elephants or any other animal at the Zoo for that matter are treated with anything less than absolute love and first rate care is nothing short of an ignorant lie.
“Cash Cows?” Can you for even one second imagine how much money is required to maintain that zoo? I certainly can’t but I’m willing to bet it’s more than any one animal or species will bring in.
I have been to East Africa and seen first hand enormous herds of Wild Elephants (www.MHWildlife.com) walking the vast savanna. Without question, it is a magnificent, breathtaking site that everyone on Planet Earth should take in. It truly changed my life. Unfortunately, not everyone can make that trip. Luckily there are incredible Zoos in America like Woodland Park where families can go and see them close up and personal. “If you want to learn about elephant behavior, go read a book.” That is really the slant the Stranger wants to take? How can reading a book replace the sounds and sites (and yep, even smells) of witnessing these awe inspiring animals first hand?
I hope that you guys retract your comments about the zoos comments. You did not ask her about revenue generated by elephants so she did not decline to comment. You did not ask any general questions about the zoo or the zoo’s elephants. You lied. You did ask about the lawsuit and I’ve been led to believe the answer seemed to satisfy her. It appears to me you had no intent to actually do any reporting. Just wanted to push your personal agenda. Boo.
P.S. The guy on the cover with the Hump girl…the unicorn tattoo is stupid 🙂 He should have it removed.
Again, I love the Stranger…hated this article. I get that sensationalistic journalism creates a buzz. I wish that all journalism was straight forward and filled with facts. Unfortunately, as a culture we like to have fluff spoon fed to us. To outright lie and not present at least some sort of facts from the side you are bashing is in my opinion irresponsible. I want my money back.
I disagree with most of the article. The elephants in WPZ help connect people to elephants in a way that cannot be experienced through only books, TV, or the Internet. The impact of seeing one in person is powerful. To care about them, to want to save them, one needs to learn about them. Zoos provide a venue for that. The elephants (as well as all the rest of the zoo’s animals) get exceptional care. They are daily examined, bathed, get plenty of enrichment, exercise, and stimulation. Even though wild elephants can walk up to 20 miles a day, that’s because they are looking for food and/or water. When it’s readily available to them, they don’t wander far. So the fact that the zoo’s elephants don’t walk a great distance is far from being abused — they don’t need to because their food, water, and shelter are close by. To take the elephants out of the zoo would be very short-sighted.
No wild animal should be in “prison” at any time.
I’m with all of you who think this site’s being bombed.
Have you done any internet research on this place in Tennesee — they’ve had a bunch of elephants die, and a handler die, and the leader is gone(suspicious circumstances)… doesn’t look like nirvana… so what’s this really all about.
Not your best investigative reporting.. we expect better from the Stranger.
I disagree with most of this article. The elephants in WPZ help connect people to elephants in a way that cannot be experienced through only books, TV, or the Internet. The impact of seeing one in person is powerful. To care about them, to want to save them, one needs to learn about them. Zoos provide a venue for that. The elephants (as well as all the rest of the zoo’s animals) get exceptional care. They are daily examined, bathed, get plenty of enrichment, exercise, and stimulation. Even though wild elephants can walk up to 20 miles a day, that’s because they are looking for food and/or water. When it’s readily availabel to them, they don’t wander far. So the fact that the zoo’s elephants don’t walk a great distance is far from being abused — they don’t need to because their food, water, and shelter are close by. To take the elephants out of the zoo would be short-sighted.
I have volunteered at Woodland park zoo for about 8 years. The zookeepers I have seen are incredibly dedicated and caring to all the animals at the zoo. I have my own moral problems with the idea of a zoo but I decided to do something about it, so I volunteered. I too don’t think that these animals should be kept in captivity and displayed as entertainment. But zoos do exist. Whether you agree with the idea of a zoo or not, these animals are not unhappy or mistreated. Moving a large intelligent mammal across the country to what “you” think is a better situation might be very stressful to the animal. Imagine the only world you have ever known removed, a long truck ride in a cage and having to deal with new surroundings and a new social order. My point is that it not as easy as this article makes it out to be. I have seen the moving of several primates and the care and planning that goes into that is incredible.
What we are seeing in zoos across the country is a response to privatization- i.e. no more tax dollars. Revenue has to be generated through ticket sales which =entertainment. For those of you who object to the changes you see at Woodland Park Zoo please think about that the next time you vote. We caused these changes by voting and making the city cut the zoo from funding. And please,please remember that all of these creatures are being pushed to the brink of extinction in the wild from the constant pressure of Humans. That is the real crime.
This is about space. The elephants need 200+ acres according to experts like the World Wildlife Fund and basically any mainstream elephant conservation organziation.
Even with the best care and intention, zookeepers can’t do right by elephants when all they have to give is an acre.
It is time for Seattle to SUPPORT OUR ZOO IN HELPING THE ELEPHANTS TO RE-LOCATE!
@55, 56
The definition of comment bombing. Again, not that I neccesarily disagree with the message, but this sort of “astro-turfing” tactic discredits whatever position any person who uses it is trying to advocate for…
The suit cites “exposure to beatings”. Where is the evidence of that?
I spend a good many volunteer hours behind the scenes and I speak from first-hand experience when I say the keepers at WPZ are indefatigable in their care for these animals. They go far beyond monitoring behavior and intake of nutrition–their care comes from a deep love and devotion to what they do. I doubt that many parents know the true personality and idiosyncrasies of their own children better than these keepers know these animals. Do accidents happen at zoos–of course! Zoos are a microcosm of society just like any organization but the people who run them have a special calling and they respond to accidents appropriately with compassion and skill. Please put your efforts where they can do more good–protecting animals in the wild and educating the public about the idiocy of buying ivory or poaching wild animals or cutting down forests. Just stop and consider your motives and try to examine all the issues involved before uttering inane remarks and parroting the comments of activists.
Far from deserving condemnation the keepers at WPZ deserve our highest praise.
Thanks for finally doing a story on the sad existence of Bamboo, Chai and Watoto. Woodland Park cannot adequately provide for these elephants and they should be released to a sanctuary!
My local zoo (Toronto) is meeting today to discuss options. We have a decent amount of space, but there’s controversy over whether they should have to face these temperatures.
The decision has already been made, however, not to send them to a sanctuary, since sanctuaries are unregulated and so we can’t guarantee that they’ll be appropriately cared for once there.
The California Sanctuary (Performing Animal Welfare Society) has a better reputation than Tennessee, if one was going to go this route.
I’m fascinated that Mat Hayward is 100% sure of every communication that has gone on between the Stranger and the zoo. How so sure? Listening devices? Psychic readings?
Woodland Park Zoo is seriously needing some new people in charge. Are they that dense that they cant see they are abusing these elephants? Anyone who supports this Zoo is letting them know its okay to confine and torture these sentient beings that belong in a santuary. If you bring your kids here you are telling your children its okay to abuse animals. Think before you buy tickets to this Zoo.
“I’m fascinated that Mat Hayward is 100% sure of every communication that has gone on between the Stranger and the zoo. How so sure? Listening devices? Psychic readings?”
They told me. In all the years I’ve known them and the woman that was “interviewed” I have never known them to lie or even stretch the truth. They are always above board on everything because they are so minutely scrutinized on everything they do.
That and the Psychic readings you referred to certainly did help. Trust me Canadian Nurse…don’t believe everything you read in the papers.
Hello People the old Director of the Zoo thinks these elephants should go to the sanctuary.
As for the woman who is worried about tax payers paying for their release…hell YES its okay..we have made these elephants suffer for our seattle entertainment and education.
I mean come on lady…tax payers should pay! If tax payers spoke up and stop supporting the Zoo maybe they would not keep the exhibit.
OK, Mat. So what questions did Cienna ask the spokeswoman?
Canadian Nurse. Re your comment (#91) about tThe Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee,I don’t know where you’re getting your information but it is blatantly false. I have been an observer of that sanctuary and their elephants for years and, believe me, those elephants get the best of care and have loving caregivers. I hope and pray the elephants in the Toronto Zoo are sent there. I know the decision is being made today but so far I haven’t heard what it is.
Those who claim that the WPZ employees love and care for these animals are almost absolutely correct.
However, I also believe that the people we see in the news or on the Animal Hoarders TV show also love and care for the mess of animals they keep in their homes.
The WPZ as well as the LA Zoo are dead wrong about keeping elephants in these little enclosures.
Here is some perspective on whether or not their 1 acre lot is sufficient. Assuming my math is correct, and assuming the average overfed human takes up about 6 square feet of space, we are saying that if three elephants are perfectly fine sharing 43,560 sq ft, that three adult humans would be fine sharing 3485 sq feet of space…or less than 1/6th of an acre…for life. Please let me know if you think this is ‘fair’ or appropriate for any living being.
“OK, Mat. So what questions did Cienna ask the spokeswoman?”
I don’t know what questions she DID ask. I’m told it was a brief interview and I was told what she DIDN’T ask which was what I posted above and what Cienna lied about. There is sensationalist reporting and there is blatant lying. Sadly, it appears this is the latter.
I know that the Zoo has reached out to ask her about this. I’m not sure if they have heard back at this point or not. I hope it gets worked out because it’ll make me sad to hate the Stranger.
Up until now it was always a great way to…well, it was always a good excuse to look at soft porn in the last couple pages. Now I have to question when the ad says “real photo” if it is in fact a real photo or simply a drawing disguised as a photo.
Oh wow – I don’t know what to comment on first – the many inaccurate facts and/or myths in the article or the writer’s obvious bias and unwillingness to consider both sides. FYI – Watoto has had joint issues/stiff legs since she arrived at the zoo AT ONE YEAR OF AGE. Elephants in the wild only walk as far as they need to in order to find enough food. The “need” to walk 20-30 miles a day is a myth – Asian elephants certainly don’t as they live in a tropical rain forest with food all around. The writer’s sarcastic comments about the zoo’s education about elephants consisting of unread plaques ignores the daily keeper talks to the public during bath time as well as the docents (volunteers) who staff carts with elephant artifacts (an elephant tooth, a tusk, etc.) that allow the public to stop, ask questions and listen to both natural history and conservation messages. I could go on – but I suspect the writer is less interested in true facts than in inflaming their readership.
Suggest those interested in the fate of these elephants read the following. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is a beautiful haven for these elephants and, contrary to what someone said, it is accredited.
http://www.elephants.com/accreditation.p…
@102, I did receive a call last night from a zoo spokeswoman, Gigi–one of two women from the zoo I questioned for this article. The first woman I spoke with (or who I thought was a spokeswoman) declined to comment on a few questions, including how and if they measure zoo attendance, and how much the elephant exhibit drives zoo attendance. That person then transferred me to Gigi, who sent me the press release.
Gigi was upset because she says I didn’t ask her those questions–and I didn’t. That doesn’t mean the questions weren’t asked. When I call someone, identify myself and why I’m calling, and they agree to speak with me, I can only assume they’re in a qualified position to do so.
That said, when I talked to her today, I asked Gigi the same main question–namely, does the elephant exhibit drive attendance? Here’s what she said: “No zoos can break down how much each species generates.” But she added that, “When Hansa was born, sure, she increased attendance. That was a record year.”
Meanwhile, the zoo has currently just debuted a new baby ocelot and baby penguin chicks. Gigi says that these additions have not zoo impacted attendance, although “we’re getting a lot of buzz about them online.”
@102, one more thing–you weren’t present during either/any of my phone interviews, so I’d really watch who you’re calling a liar. It’s pretty fucking offensive.
Until the elephants are moved out of WPZ into the sanctuary, I will not go there. It is cruel to keep them there, with all the evidence presented. Shame on you WPZ!
Until WPZ sends the elephants to the sanctuary, I will not be visiting. They have been presented with evidence citing keeping the elephants is cruel, yet they continue to do so. None of my money will go towards an establishment that cares so little of its animal inhabitants.
Hey Echoes @59,
I reject your assumption that this article has been comment bombed. My comment was one of the first, I’ve had a SLOG log-in for several years now and I am not part of any “organization”.
LJH @45’s got it right. And it makes me hopeful that I’m not the only one that gives a shit.
“you weren’t present during either/any of my phone interviews, so I’d really watch who you’re calling a liar. It’s pretty fucking offensive.”
That’s pretty fucking hilarious. As a “journalist” it would seem you should have thicker skin. Especially one who writes such inflammatory, biased articles clearly designed to insight rebellion and anger rather than to educate or inform.
You said in your rebuttal that Gigi sent you the press release. You also said that she wasn’t the person you spoke with and asked your questions to. However, in your article you say that “When I inquired if I could ask more general questions about the zoo, another declined and sent me a press release”
The way I am interpreting your words is that you were transferred to Gigi and asked her if you could ask general questions about the zoo. Gigi then told you that you could not ask her general questions about the zoo. Instead she insisted you could only get a generic press release from her. Does that sound about right?
I’ve met Gigi a number of times. She is a professional and I can’t help but think that if a member of the press (or you) wanted to ask general questions about the zoo that she would be willing to answer them to the best of her ability. Please, correct me if I’m wrong. Did you record these calls? If so, and Gigi refused to answer your questions I want to hear it. I will stand in Downtown Seattle wearing my underwear holding up a sign that says “Cienna Madrid is a top notch journalist! She was right, I was wrong and I’m sorry!”
If not then I stand by my earlier accusation….you are a liar.
Thank you for this article. Anyone with half a brain knows WPZ does not have enough room for the elephants. And yes, elephants even die in sanctuaries, especially since they are old, abused and sick when they arrive.
Glad to see you mention the Detroit zoo. Their attendance actually went UP after Ron sent the elephants to PAWS sanctuary.
To Mat Hayward, the question is either the zoo’s treatment including its severe confinement of the elephants for long periods which the zoo itself has acknowledged is animal cruelty. Would you like to be locked up in a small closet for your whole life? Of course not, yet that is the equivalent of what the zoo is doing to the elephants. How absurd for you to claim the zoo shows them respect. By ignoring their very nature (the need for vast spaces, freedom, naturally growing vegetation and compatible other elephants) the zoo is showing total disrespect for them and for their species. If you witnessed Chai’s insemination, did the zoo keepers tell you that any calf born there will be exposed to the same deadly virus that killed Hansa since its AFrican elephant is still infected with it? Of course not, that’s a “minor” detail that any calf is likely to die. How respectful….
This comments thread is officially a zoo. ZING!
All the comments regarding how humane the handlers are make me laugh… it doesn’t matter how nice the prison guards are when you’re stuck in a small concrete box. The point isn’t that the zoo is intentionally cruel, but rather that the habitat for the elephants (and I would argue, quite a few other animals as well) is far from adequate, and not going to change anytime soon.
PS- This is not a comment bomb.