actually 2 of the elephants learned the "sway" from being strapped down at "other fwcilities" our other female has unlearned this behavior. But that one still sways but only when a feeding is coming up. Shes anxious and excited for the upcoming food, not cause shes bored.
Please note that elephant swaying is a distress reaction to being held captive and not having their biological and behavioral needs met. Please search “elephant stereotypy” and “the captivity industry” to learn more. The elephants will thank you.
I was an intern in 2001 working with the three female elephants at the Oakland Zoo. Donna, M'Dunda, and Lisa who was pregnant with Dohani.
The girls were on a schedule and knew when we were coming to get them. They would often be lined up waiting before we even called for them. When I was there, I was told of M'Dunda being badly abused before Oakland got her and she was the one I saw sway the most.
Like someone else said, don't judge without knowing all the facts please.
These elephants at Oakland zoo that show swaying behaviors were rescued when they were young as their families were killed in Africa. Yes, I agree with most of you who argue that the zoo is not a good place for elephants to live but it was the best option back then. And Oakland zoo should not get all these blames since they are trying their best to make the best environment for elephants such as keeping a log to calculate how many miles each elephant is walking everyday.
It doesn't just have to do with the poor animal being bored, many zoo elephants are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many scientific tests have proven that human and elephant brains are very similar in brain chemistry, especially how we react to trauma. Most of these zoo elephants became orphans when their parents were brutally murdered in front of them. These amazing animals are so mistreated. Human beings can be so cruel.
I want to echo what MsRemy11 and YoWhiskers said. A lot of zoos' animals are rescued from bad situations (circuses, illegal pet trade, etc.) and develop stereotypic behaviors in their youth. There are animals at ANY zoo that might display such behaviors (swaying, pacing, overplucking feathers, etc.) but just because you observe this behavior at a zoo does not mean they are abused. These behaviors are hard to break, and it is important to know animals' histories before you judge institutions.
@hitheremynameisbingo Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I don't believe I ever said that these elephants were abused, and I doubt they are at this zoo. And you're right, they COULD have been previously.
However, I do believe this habitat, while not too bad, is still not adequate enough to meet elephants' wide range of social and intellectual needs as well as their physical ones. Many zoos are giving up their elephants because the admit that they simply cannot provide for their needs.
@journeyman47 I'm sure we can all agree that the best habitat for elephants is definitely in the wild. I'm sure if people who truly cared about the welfare of animals had their way, there wouldn't be a need for zoos and sanctuaries. When it's not possible to return these animals to where they belong, there's only so much they can do to try to make their lives as good as possible, although they should always strive for improvement. At least zoos have come a long way from what they used to be.
painful to see this? are you kidding me? this is not stereotypic behavior. every little sway does not mean the elephant is bored. inadequate habitat? omg....have you ever seen elephants in the wild? i thought not... this is an excellent exhibit. i agree there are many places in the US that should not house elephants... this is not one of them. if you want to do some serious good, focus on the worse abuses, not people who are doing a decent job.
Pfericks; ok, it's not the worst habitat in the world. But "excellent"? It's, what, a few acres? Elephant roam for MILES every day in the wild, in large family groups, raising families, passing on ancient knowledge to their young. These elephants are denied all this.
Have YOU observed elephants in the wild? Or even read about them in books?
Yes, this is not the worst place. But I wanted to point out that it's not the best, either. Elephants don't belong in zoos, only large preserves.
Well whenever I do research projects googling is not that effective. Plus it is all anti-radical propaganda that all the animal-rights activists want you to believe. They all post it on the internet. Do any of them have any experience working in a zoo? Most of them no. The make claims off of observing an elephant for 10 minutes. What is seen in this video is not swaying. There is actually a video of an elephant swaying at the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN.
Forgot to add, this isn't really swaying as real swaying is much faster. This looks more like the elephant is shifting its weight around as when it comes to the right it pauses for a couple of seconds. Swaying is much more continous.
Hmm... possibly, but I don't think so . It's not really that much slower than the usual stereotypic swaying you see in circus elephants. And I don't think it's "weight shifting", as it seems too fast for that. I really do think the elephant is bored.
It would be good to note that there are many other reasons elephants sway, and I have never found any proof (That should actually be taken as legitimate) that they do it out of boredom.
I would be interested in hearing what the other reasons are for swaying.
As for you having found no "proof" that they do it our of boredom, you must not have done much looking, because just googling "stereotypic swaying" brought up all kinds of research documents on the subject.
It's so painful to see this but thanks for posting so many informative videos! Remember the tiger mauling at the SF Zoo in Dec 2007? That's just one example of why zoos are horrible. ;( I understand preserving endangered species but there has to be a way to take care of animals in a more natural (and larger) area.
Yes,,, as long as it's just about money, the animals will always get the short end of the deal. We're making progress every day, though... keep spreading the word!
I have an idea, Teft. Let her go to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and I'll bet she'll stop swaying. Although the Oakland Zoo increased the elephant space to, I think, 6.5 acres, that is not enough space for elephants. This is bored, stressed, frustrated behavior and will continue as long as she is kept in confined captivity. Token increases in space will not solve this problem.
You know what the ironic thing is, the U.S. government never bothered to create an elephant sanctuary, even though they ask the one in Tennessee for help sometimes, and more are sorely needed... I wonder if they even give them a dime's worth of help?
Good point, Journeyman. The USDA has confiscated two elephants and placed them both at The Elephant Sanctuary. They ordered the Hawthorn Corp. to get rid of their elephants and most of them ended up at the sanctuary too. Yet it is private donations that support this effort. Hmmmmmmmmm.
Yep; I've since learned that the government doesn't give them a penny. But that's how it almost always is with animal sanctuaries in every country. The governments use them when needed, but don't give a thought to them otherwise.
It's the same with the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.
We need to vote in politicians who actually do care, like that guy in L.A. trying to get a sanctuary built down there.
Actually, stereotypic behaviors do not just dissapear when an animal is given enough stimulus. Ting Ting, a sun bear at the Oakland Zoo, often paces in a circle or shows other sterotypic behaviors, though she has a lot of enrichment and such. Her stereotypic behaviors were developed when she was kept in a small cage at an orangutan sanctuary in Malaysia after being confiscated from an even smaller cage by the Malaysian gov't.
Yo Whiskers is correct. Elephants learn this swaying behavior from being kept on leg chains for hours at a time and having no room to move. Before coming to Oakland, this particular elephant was kept in a horrible facility that confined her for hours all night on leg chains. This behavior is extremely difficult to break once an animal has learned it. The elephants are never chained, have a spacious enclosure, are fed ten times a day, and are given huge truckloads of tree branches per week.
The truth is that this elephant was raised in a circus and came to the Oakland zoo after she already had this stereotypical behavior instilled in her. She swayed all the time when she first arrived at Oakland and now sways only a little in comparison. It's very difficult to break an Elephant from this behavior but the Oakland zoo is working very hard to do so. We hope that one day she will stop the swaying completely.
It's sad to see her still swaying, I also hope she stops. I wish the zoo luck in that.
However, I still wish she was at a true sanctuary, where she could live on many acres of land with a whole herd of her own kind. Then perhaps she would stop the swaying as well.
Some day, in a better world, we humans will stop exhibiting our brother species of this planet and learn to show them the respect and compassion they deserve.
This behaviour is heartbreaking. It's seen in all species that are held in cages - zebras, elephants, chimps, wolves, cougars, orcas, humans... Extreme mental torment. It's common to us all. These animals don't deserve this. Anyone who thinks a zoo is educational is mislead. Videos taken in the wild can teach us anything we'd like to know. A mentally deranged animal has no knowledge to offer. Leave them to live out their lives the way they were born to live.
alice: I heartily agree with everything you say. I'd like to add, to anyone who wants to read an excellent essay on zoos and why we don't need them, get the book "In Defense of Animals" edited by Peter Singer. It's a collection of great essays by writers, scientists & philosophers who discuss different aspects of humans and nonhuman animal exploitation and liberation. One chapter essay is about zoos by Dale Jameison. I highly recommend it! (And the rest of the book)
Yes we do need zoos. elephants like this one do not necsarily mean it is bored. That is just jumping to conclusions and that is what an idiotic animal-rights activist would want you to think. The swaying could have been picked up years ago when the elephant use to be chained, that behavior does not leave them once they pick it up.
I'm curious why you say "we need zoos". I've just checked out your channel. You seem to be something of a zoo fan. I watched the videos posted on your site, and I have to say I'm not impressed (as you can see from my comments).
Zoos do almost nothing to educate the public, conduct research in natural behavior, or much of anything else except make money and keep wild animals captive for our viewing pleasure.
As for the swaying, it is well documented that it comes from stress and boredom.
whatever i don't know where you get your information and quite frankly I really don't care because you have already been mislead. I guess you have to be a zoo fan like me and know people who work at the zoo to really understand what great facilities zoos are. It is only been welldocumented from people who work for ida and peta not by the dedicated keepers who work alongside these animals everyday. There will always be two sides to every thing including zoos. You are really a waste of my time.
As I said in my email, check out "In Defense of Animals", edited by Peter Singer, and read the short chapter on zoos. It will open your eyes to how useless zoos are when it comes to education and conservation, and make you look at them with a more critical eye.
It must sound strange that an animal lover like me doesn't like zoos. I always loved them when I was young like you. The more you learn about them, tho, the more you might agree with me.
I really try to keep my distance when it comes to anti-zoo depressing USELESS books. There are two sides to every story including zoos. I know quite a few people who are older now and still have the critical eye for zoos and still love them for what they are.
The book has only one short chapter on zoos. It is not depressing, it is enlightening. It is a collection of essays on the rights of animals, the problems of speciesism, and the strategies and ideas of animal activists in the forefront who are trying to help them.
It might do you a lot of good to learn about the other side of the argument, instead of closing your mind to it. If ony to argue your reasons better, for one.
actually 2 of the elephants learned the "sway" from being strapped down at "other fwcilities" our other female has unlearned this behavior. But that one still sways but only when a feeding is coming up. Shes anxious and excited for the upcoming food, not cause shes bored.
letshaves0m3fun 1 month ago
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Please note that elephant swaying is a distress reaction to being held captive and not having their biological and behavioral needs met. Please search “elephant stereotypy” and “the captivity industry” to learn more. The elephants will thank you.
Dele1219 5 months ago
I was an intern in 2001 working with the three female elephants at the Oakland Zoo. Donna, M'Dunda, and Lisa who was pregnant with Dohani.
The girls were on a schedule and knew when we were coming to get them. They would often be lined up waiting before we even called for them. When I was there, I was told of M'Dunda being badly abused before Oakland got her and she was the one I saw sway the most.
Like someone else said, don't judge without knowing all the facts please.
zoologychic 10 months ago
These elephants at Oakland zoo that show swaying behaviors were rescued when they were young as their families were killed in Africa. Yes, I agree with most of you who argue that the zoo is not a good place for elephants to live but it was the best option back then. And Oakland zoo should not get all these blames since they are trying their best to make the best environment for elephants such as keeping a log to calculate how many miles each elephant is walking everyday.
min2virus 10 months ago
It wouldn't cost a lot to revamp the exhibit
canucksgo 11 months ago
It doesn't just have to do with the poor animal being bored, many zoo elephants are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many scientific tests have proven that human and elephant brains are very similar in brain chemistry, especially how we react to trauma. Most of these zoo elephants became orphans when their parents were brutally murdered in front of them. These amazing animals are so mistreated. Human beings can be so cruel.
KornKween1971 1 year ago
I want to echo what MsRemy11 and YoWhiskers said. A lot of zoos' animals are rescued from bad situations (circuses, illegal pet trade, etc.) and develop stereotypic behaviors in their youth. There are animals at ANY zoo that might display such behaviors (swaying, pacing, overplucking feathers, etc.) but just because you observe this behavior at a zoo does not mean they are abused. These behaviors are hard to break, and it is important to know animals' histories before you judge institutions.
hitheremynameisbingo 1 year ago
@hitheremynameisbingo Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I don't believe I ever said that these elephants were abused, and I doubt they are at this zoo. And you're right, they COULD have been previously.
However, I do believe this habitat, while not too bad, is still not adequate enough to meet elephants' wide range of social and intellectual needs as well as their physical ones. Many zoos are giving up their elephants because the admit that they simply cannot provide for their needs.
journeyman47 1 year ago
@journeyman47 I'm sure we can all agree that the best habitat for elephants is definitely in the wild. I'm sure if people who truly cared about the welfare of animals had their way, there wouldn't be a need for zoos and sanctuaries. When it's not possible to return these animals to where they belong, there's only so much they can do to try to make their lives as good as possible, although they should always strive for improvement. At least zoos have come a long way from what they used to be.
hitheremynameisbingo 1 year ago
@hitheremynameisbingo All very true. Thanks for commenting.
journeyman47 1 year ago
It's important to learn your history before judging a zoo like Oakland.
MsRemy11 1 year ago
painful to see this? are you kidding me? this is not stereotypic behavior. every little sway does not mean the elephant is bored. inadequate habitat? omg....have you ever seen elephants in the wild? i thought not... this is an excellent exhibit. i agree there are many places in the US that should not house elephants... this is not one of them. if you want to do some serious good, focus on the worse abuses, not people who are doing a decent job.
Pfericks 2 years ago
Pfericks; ok, it's not the worst habitat in the world. But "excellent"? It's, what, a few acres? Elephant roam for MILES every day in the wild, in large family groups, raising families, passing on ancient knowledge to their young. These elephants are denied all this.
Have YOU observed elephants in the wild? Or even read about them in books?
Yes, this is not the worst place. But I wanted to point out that it's not the best, either. Elephants don't belong in zoos, only large preserves.
journeyman47 2 years ago
Well whenever I do research projects googling is not that effective. Plus it is all anti-radical propaganda that all the animal-rights activists want you to believe. They all post it on the internet. Do any of them have any experience working in a zoo? Most of them no. The make claims off of observing an elephant for 10 minutes. What is seen in this video is not swaying. There is actually a video of an elephant swaying at the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN.
ingezuriRock 2 years ago
Forgot to add, this isn't really swaying as real swaying is much faster. This looks more like the elephant is shifting its weight around as when it comes to the right it pauses for a couple of seconds. Swaying is much more continous.
ingezuriRock 2 years ago
Hmm... possibly, but I don't think so . It's not really that much slower than the usual stereotypic swaying you see in circus elephants. And I don't think it's "weight shifting", as it seems too fast for that. I really do think the elephant is bored.
Nice try, though!
journeyman47 2 years ago
It would be good to note that there are many other reasons elephants sway, and I have never found any proof (That should actually be taken as legitimate) that they do it out of boredom.
ingezuriRock 2 years ago
I would be interested in hearing what the other reasons are for swaying.
As for you having found no "proof" that they do it our of boredom, you must not have done much looking, because just googling "stereotypic swaying" brought up all kinds of research documents on the subject.
Try it and get back to me.
journeyman47 2 years ago
It's so painful to see this but thanks for posting so many informative videos! Remember the tiger mauling at the SF Zoo in Dec 2007? That's just one example of why zoos are horrible. ;( I understand preserving endangered species but there has to be a way to take care of animals in a more natural (and larger) area.
SmokeyClaws 3 years ago
Yes,,, as long as it's just about money, the animals will always get the short end of the deal. We're making progress every day, though... keep spreading the word!
Thanks for commenting.
journeyman47 3 years ago
The sight of an elephant swaying like that just gives me chills. It saddens me so. =(
amylovesrats 3 years ago
Great video! :)
FrozenMermaid666 3 years ago
thanks!
journeyman47 3 years ago
You're welcome! :D
FrozenMermaid666 3 years ago
I have an idea, Teft. Let her go to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and I'll bet she'll stop swaying. Although the Oakland Zoo increased the elephant space to, I think, 6.5 acres, that is not enough space for elephants. This is bored, stressed, frustrated behavior and will continue as long as she is kept in confined captivity. Token increases in space will not solve this problem.
CreamyDove 3 years ago
Heh, heh, good point, Dove. I think you're right.
You know what the ironic thing is, the U.S. government never bothered to create an elephant sanctuary, even though they ask the one in Tennessee for help sometimes, and more are sorely needed... I wonder if they even give them a dime's worth of help?
journeyman47 3 years ago
Good point, Journeyman. The USDA has confiscated two elephants and placed them both at The Elephant Sanctuary. They ordered the Hawthorn Corp. to get rid of their elephants and most of them ended up at the sanctuary too. Yet it is private donations that support this effort. Hmmmmmmmmm.
CreamyDove 3 years ago
Yep; I've since learned that the government doesn't give them a penny. But that's how it almost always is with animal sanctuaries in every country. The governments use them when needed, but don't give a thought to them otherwise.
It's the same with the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.
We need to vote in politicians who actually do care, like that guy in L.A. trying to get a sanctuary built down there.
journeyman47 3 years ago
Actually, stereotypic behaviors do not just dissapear when an animal is given enough stimulus. Ting Ting, a sun bear at the Oakland Zoo, often paces in a circle or shows other sterotypic behaviors, though she has a lot of enrichment and such. Her stereotypic behaviors were developed when she was kept in a small cage at an orangutan sanctuary in Malaysia after being confiscated from an even smaller cage by the Malaysian gov't.
YoWhiskers 2 years ago
*stimulus or space
YoWhiskers 2 years ago
Yo Whiskers is correct. Elephants learn this swaying behavior from being kept on leg chains for hours at a time and having no room to move. Before coming to Oakland, this particular elephant was kept in a horrible facility that confined her for hours all night on leg chains. This behavior is extremely difficult to break once an animal has learned it. The elephants are never chained, have a spacious enclosure, are fed ten times a day, and are given huge truckloads of tree branches per week.
MsRemy11 1 year ago
The truth is that this elephant was raised in a circus and came to the Oakland zoo after she already had this stereotypical behavior instilled in her. She swayed all the time when she first arrived at Oakland and now sways only a little in comparison. It's very difficult to break an Elephant from this behavior but the Oakland zoo is working very hard to do so. We hope that one day she will stop the swaying completely.
teft 3 years ago
Thanks for the inside info. Good to know.
It's sad to see her still swaying, I also hope she stops. I wish the zoo luck in that.
However, I still wish she was at a true sanctuary, where she could live on many acres of land with a whole herd of her own kind. Then perhaps she would stop the swaying as well.
Some day, in a better world, we humans will stop exhibiting our brother species of this planet and learn to show them the respect and compassion they deserve.
Thanks for your comments.
journeyman47 3 years ago
This behaviour is heartbreaking. It's seen in all species that are held in cages - zebras, elephants, chimps, wolves, cougars, orcas, humans... Extreme mental torment. It's common to us all. These animals don't deserve this. Anyone who thinks a zoo is educational is mislead. Videos taken in the wild can teach us anything we'd like to know. A mentally deranged animal has no knowledge to offer. Leave them to live out their lives the way they were born to live.
askalice50 3 years ago
alice: I heartily agree with everything you say. I'd like to add, to anyone who wants to read an excellent essay on zoos and why we don't need them, get the book "In Defense of Animals" edited by Peter Singer. It's a collection of great essays by writers, scientists & philosophers who discuss different aspects of humans and nonhuman animal exploitation and liberation. One chapter essay is about zoos by Dale Jameison. I highly recommend it! (And the rest of the book)
Thanks for your comments.
journeyman47 3 years ago
Yes we do need zoos. elephants like this one do not necsarily mean it is bored. That is just jumping to conclusions and that is what an idiotic animal-rights activist would want you to think. The swaying could have been picked up years ago when the elephant use to be chained, that behavior does not leave them once they pick it up.
ingezuriRock 3 years ago
I'm curious why you say "we need zoos". I've just checked out your channel. You seem to be something of a zoo fan. I watched the videos posted on your site, and I have to say I'm not impressed (as you can see from my comments).
Zoos do almost nothing to educate the public, conduct research in natural behavior, or much of anything else except make money and keep wild animals captive for our viewing pleasure.
As for the swaying, it is well documented that it comes from stress and boredom.
journeyman47 3 years ago
whatever i don't know where you get your information and quite frankly I really don't care because you have already been mislead. I guess you have to be a zoo fan like me and know people who work at the zoo to really understand what great facilities zoos are. It is only been welldocumented from people who work for ida and peta not by the dedicated keepers who work alongside these animals everyday. There will always be two sides to every thing including zoos. You are really a waste of my time.
ingezuriRock 3 years ago
As I said in my email, check out "In Defense of Animals", edited by Peter Singer, and read the short chapter on zoos. It will open your eyes to how useless zoos are when it comes to education and conservation, and make you look at them with a more critical eye.
It must sound strange that an animal lover like me doesn't like zoos. I always loved them when I was young like you. The more you learn about them, tho, the more you might agree with me.
Please do some research on the subject. Thanks.
journeyman47 3 years ago
I really try to keep my distance when it comes to anti-zoo depressing USELESS books. There are two sides to every story including zoos. I know quite a few people who are older now and still have the critical eye for zoos and still love them for what they are.
ingezuriRock 3 years ago
The book has only one short chapter on zoos. It is not depressing, it is enlightening. It is a collection of essays on the rights of animals, the problems of speciesism, and the strategies and ideas of animal activists in the forefront who are trying to help them.
It might do you a lot of good to learn about the other side of the argument, instead of closing your mind to it. If ony to argue your reasons better, for one.
journeyman47 3 years ago