Bull Elephant Introduced to New Home-Cincinnati Zoo

The Cincinnati Zoo has completed a yard to house its bull elephant, Sabu. After 9 months indoors Sabu is happy to rome freely in his new yard. This will allow the zoo to focus on breeding of its Asian Elephants.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Cincinnati
• Zoo
• elephant
• bull
• breeding
• Asian
• animal

[littlefurballs]

What's the point of living a long time if you're living a life of misery and confinement outside your natural habitat and being beaten and tortured? Even if the elephants in the wild are living shorter lives, at least it's a better life for them as it's in their natural surroundings, the way they were meant to live. In the wild, they don't have to be submissive or do any demeaning tricks for humans, having their spirit broken down in addition to the abuse they go through.

[stratotanker518]

This is true. It is very small and concrete and unnatural. I live in North Carolina and the NC Zoo's Elephant and Rhino area is so large that you are lucky to see them. It's like a small preserve. That is the way it should be for these precious animals if we must contain them.

[jrob9inson]

I got to pet and feed these guys. Really cool.



[917Amber]

His 'yard' looks really small. He needs to come live at the OKC zoo where he would have probably 5x that much room if not more =)

[HenryDavidT]

For such a beautiful, majestic, and large 21 year-old bull, he needs --- even if he must be kept in captivity --- a space 3-5 as big as that. Keeping an animal as intelligent and large as that in that space, is exactly keeping humans in a cell of 10 12 sq.ft all his life, with him receiving all the good food and medical checkup's, of course.

Who would want to live in a space of 10x12 all his life, even if you could eat any thing you want everyday?

[MrRagtimer]

What a small and uninspiring yard! Given the fact that Asian elephants are living in tropical jungle environments, this area must be like desert for this poor bull.

Anyway it's an illusion to think that zoos protect species. What's not survining in the wild is lost for ever, and these few zoo elephants are not the same as their wild relatives. Zoos are just money-making machineries.

[GWRevolution2008]

@QCG513 the fact of the matter is that this "wild" that people say that zoo animals need to "return" to doesn't exist anymore, due to human encroachment and habitat destruction.

[girlofgaga63]

Elephants are my fave animals! 

[littlefurballs]

@QCG513 (cont) but not when they are put in conditions like this concrete jungle just to make "money" (which is not only going to the animal (unlike sanctuaries, where the money usually goes to the animal to give it a good life. So, no, not a good trade. I thought Stratotanker had a very good point about the NC Zoo's elephant and rhino area (in the Highest rated comments). If we must contain these domesticated animals, at least make their living space a lot bigger and natural

[littlefurballs]

@QCG513 Yes, I realize that Barnum and Bailey isn't a zoo. Did I ask you if it was a zoo? NO. I was merely asking you if felt B&B contributed to "conservation", as others have pointed out how they're helping with conservation (which is absolutely ridiculous).I was merely asking your opinion. Give me a break: "prance"? Stop making it seem like their freedom inthe wild is something meaningless. Maybe they do bring in money for other species. I am all for preventing the extinction of species (cont)

[QCG513]

@littlefurballs Issues like these tend illustrate the basic problem with people and societies. At some point, you have to be less idealistic, make concessions, and focus on the big picture.

Ok, so 5% of the Elepahants on Earth are in captivity, and don't get to prance around 30 miles a day in Africa... but having them at Zoos brings in money, which is ultimately used to save a myriad of other species from going extinct. Not a good trade?