I think there are too many animal rights activists and zoo extremists out there who make themselves to be so huge that they get caught up in trying to be right and winning arguing that they forget what's important - the animals. I am not a zoo extremist or animal rights activist...I look at the facts, make observations, and then make an opinion.
Poor Petal. I will miss her. She was able to teach zoo visitors the dignity and art of being an elephant, and she was a surrogate mother to Kallie and Bette. More importantly, she was Dulary's older sister for most of Dulary's life. The animal rights activists need to remember that in sending Dulary to the Sanctuary, Dulary lost Petal.
@animalsrule1231 Dulary is thriving at the Elephant Sanctuary, as Petal would have thrived at the PAWS sanctuary. Zoo extremists need to remember that Petal died a year after Dulary moved to the Elephant Sanctuary, so had Dulary stayed, she would have been alone at the Zoo (since she didn't get along with Bette and was kept separated from her).
@awesomeH2O, I am no fan of the Philadelphia Zoo. And I don't think that Petal lived a great life. But I don't think she was really young. Sure, the average, natural lifespan for an elephant is 60 years. But don't forget that Petal was living in captivity, not in the wild. And someone who works for the AZA says that the average lifespan for female African elephants in AZA-accredited zoos is 41 years. So Petal outlived other captive elephants.
@proboscidea123, Petal was a larger female African elephant. She weighed about 8,700 pounds and maintained a good weight for years. Petal soon became the Zoo's largest resident after Dulary lost weight, and before her death, weighed 9,300 pounds.
@animalsrule1231 If you're looking for the life expectancy of African elephants, it's from the AZA. You don't seem to know many facts about elephants, Philly Zoo or otherwise, though you have some strong feelings and beliefs about them.
@proboscidea123 I am hoping to be able to ask someone at the Zoo who knows the answer to your question. I try to answer as many questions as I can, but I am not an official representative of the Zoo, so when someone asks a specific factual question like yours, I want to be sure I am getting information from a reliable source.
@ZooVisitorMM No...I know elephants die in the wild. In fact, I have an interest in studying the process an elephant goes through before death.
What I meant is simple. Fifty-two is not necessarily young for an African elephant in terms of AZA. She was the oldest African elephant in an AZA-accredited zoo. But the thing is that it seems like she was just a little too young to die.
@ZooVisitorMM (continued) I used to love seeing her as a child, back when it was just Petal and Dulary. But when I became older, and saw the great animal, that's when I felt that I just couldn't love the Zoo. I did my research, and I just began to feel that zoo life is not right for elephants. That's just how I feel, though.
My main inspiration was the herd at the Philadelphia Zoo. They have helped me to form my opinion and speak out for elephants in captivity.
@awesomeH2O Not exactly. Some African elephants naturally do not reach that age. The average life expectancy is about 50-60 years. Plus, no one seems to fuss quite the same way if someone reaches 60 years old compared to 75 years instead.
Petal was a bit old and I am glad that she was past forty years old... but she was rather young to die though, don't you think? Even if elephants in the wild and captivity don't reach this, the average lifespan (not always the life expectancy) is 60 to 70 years. However, I am not blaming the Philadelphia zoo staff. I just don't know why she only lived to 52 years.
I have seen many photographs and a few videos of Petal, and she still had been one of my favorite elephant individuals. Petal was always the dignified, mature leader of the group, and with much more experience than Kallie and Bette, seemed to be much more confident. It may have had something to do with her stride and the way she held herself up. I still believe that the other elephants would benefit if she lived longer. I will always remember Petal.
@awesomeH2O I will always remember her, too. And, yes, the other elephants would surely have benefited if she had lived longer. Zoo visitors, and Zoo staff, would have benefited also.
The feelings you are expressing here are a very good example of what I say is the value of zoos. A zoo has caused you to form an emotional bond with an individual animal, and that bond affects all your thoughts, opinions, and actions regarding animals.
@ZooVisitorMM Indeed, I do love animals. I am not sure that emotional bond that I felt for such a grand animal should have happened, but regardless, I cared for her as well as the other elephants.
@awesomeH2O In my opinion, one of the most important value of zoos is that they provide opportunities for emotional bonds to develop between humans and animals.
Not only are those emotional bonds good for the individuals involved, but they also lead to the development of lifelong interests in wildlife conservation.
Petal was a wise, grand elephant who taught us all something special. We will never forget you, Petal.
animalsdeserveaplace 1 year ago
R.I.P. Petal.
animalsdeserveaplace 1 year ago
I think there are too many animal rights activists and zoo extremists out there who make themselves to be so huge that they get caught up in trying to be right and winning arguing that they forget what's important - the animals. I am not a zoo extremist or animal rights activist...I look at the facts, make observations, and then make an opinion.
animalsdeserveaplace 1 year ago
Poor Petal. I will miss her. She was able to teach zoo visitors the dignity and art of being an elephant, and she was a surrogate mother to Kallie and Bette. More importantly, she was Dulary's older sister for most of Dulary's life. The animal rights activists need to remember that in sending Dulary to the Sanctuary, Dulary lost Petal.
animalsrule1231 1 year ago
@animalsrule1231 Dulary is thriving at the Elephant Sanctuary, as Petal would have thrived at the PAWS sanctuary. Zoo extremists need to remember that Petal died a year after Dulary moved to the Elephant Sanctuary, so had Dulary stayed, she would have been alone at the Zoo (since she didn't get along with Bette and was kept separated from her).
rowanmorrison 1 year ago
So sad...
:(
proboscidea123 1 year ago
@awesomeH2O, I am no fan of the Philadelphia Zoo. And I don't think that Petal lived a great life. But I don't think she was really young. Sure, the average, natural lifespan for an elephant is 60 years. But don't forget that Petal was living in captivity, not in the wild. And someone who works for the AZA says that the average lifespan for female African elephants in AZA-accredited zoos is 41 years. So Petal outlived other captive elephants.
ThePowerofElephants 1 year ago
@proboscidea123, Petal was a larger female African elephant. She weighed about 8,700 pounds and maintained a good weight for years. Petal soon became the Zoo's largest resident after Dulary lost weight, and before her death, weighed 9,300 pounds.
ThePowerofElephants 1 year ago
@ThePowerofElephants Please include the source of your information when you reply to questions here!
ZooVisitorMM 1 year ago
@ThePowerofElephants Thank you.
proboscidea123 1 year ago
@ThePowerofElephants Where did you get that information?
animalsrule1231 1 year ago
@animalsrule1231 If you're looking for the life expectancy of African elephants, it's from the AZA. You don't seem to know many facts about elephants, Philly Zoo or otherwise, though you have some strong feelings and beliefs about them.
rowanmorrison 1 year ago
How much did Petal weigh?
proboscidea123 1 year ago
@proboscidea123 I am hoping to be able to ask someone at the Zoo who knows the answer to your question. I try to answer as many questions as I can, but I am not an official representative of the Zoo, so when someone asks a specific factual question like yours, I want to be sure I am getting information from a reliable source.
ZooVisitorMM 1 year ago
My video is now finished and on YouTube. I may need to edit later, though.
awesomeH2O 1 year ago
Yes...a little young to die in my opinion.
awesomeH2O 1 year ago
@awesomeH2O Fifty-two is not young for an African elephant. Also, are you saying elephants never die young in the wild?
ZooVisitorMM 1 year ago
@ZooVisitorMM No...I know elephants die in the wild. In fact, I have an interest in studying the process an elephant goes through before death.
What I meant is simple. Fifty-two is not necessarily young for an African elephant in terms of AZA. She was the oldest African elephant in an AZA-accredited zoo. But the thing is that it seems like she was just a little too young to die.
awesomeH2O 1 year ago
@ZooVisitorMM (continued) Also, there are two reasons I am sad she died (especially at the time she died):
1) I never actually worked with her, but I've always had a place in my heart for her (even if I think I should never have ever seen her at all).
2) She died before there was a chance for her to have a better life.
You see, I really did care for her in a way. Most people think I don't, that I just am anti-zoo.
awesomeH2O 1 year ago
@ZooVisitorMM (continued) I used to love seeing her as a child, back when it was just Petal and Dulary. But when I became older, and saw the great animal, that's when I felt that I just couldn't love the Zoo. I did my research, and I just began to feel that zoo life is not right for elephants. That's just how I feel, though.
My main inspiration was the herd at the Philadelphia Zoo. They have helped me to form my opinion and speak out for elephants in captivity.
awesomeH2O 1 year ago
@awesomeH2O Not exactly. Some African elephants naturally do not reach that age. The average life expectancy is about 50-60 years. Plus, no one seems to fuss quite the same way if someone reaches 60 years old compared to 75 years instead.
animalsrule1231 1 year ago
Petal was a bit old and I am glad that she was past forty years old... but she was rather young to die though, don't you think? Even if elephants in the wild and captivity don't reach this, the average lifespan (not always the life expectancy) is 60 to 70 years. However, I am not blaming the Philadelphia zoo staff. I just don't know why she only lived to 52 years.
awesomeH2O 1 year ago
I have seen many photographs and a few videos of Petal, and she still had been one of my favorite elephant individuals. Petal was always the dignified, mature leader of the group, and with much more experience than Kallie and Bette, seemed to be much more confident. It may have had something to do with her stride and the way she held herself up. I still believe that the other elephants would benefit if she lived longer. I will always remember Petal.
awesomeH2O 1 year ago
@awesomeH2O I will always remember her, too. And, yes, the other elephants would surely have benefited if she had lived longer. Zoo visitors, and Zoo staff, would have benefited also.
The feelings you are expressing here are a very good example of what I say is the value of zoos. A zoo has caused you to form an emotional bond with an individual animal, and that bond affects all your thoughts, opinions, and actions regarding animals.
ZooVisitorMM 1 year ago
@ZooVisitorMM Indeed, I do love animals. I am not sure that emotional bond that I felt for such a grand animal should have happened, but regardless, I cared for her as well as the other elephants.
awesomeH2O 1 year ago
@awesomeH2O In my opinion, one of the most important value of zoos is that they provide opportunities for emotional bonds to develop between humans and animals.
Not only are those emotional bonds good for the individuals involved, but they also lead to the development of lifelong interests in wildlife conservation.
ZooVisitorMM 1 year ago