Philadelphia Zoo Elephants Playing in Mud Wallow

(This video is a response to the Brookfield Zoo's decision to keep Christy, a decision which I agree with.)

First Kallie, then Bette enjoy digging and playing in their mud wallow.

The Philadelphia Zoo is their home. I believe they are thriving here, as elephants in most zoos are.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Philadelphia Zoo
• zoos
• elephant
• elephants
• Pachyderm House
• mammal
• mammals
• mud wallow
• June
• spring
• Sunday
• 2009

[ZooVisitorMM]

@SayYesToFreedom Yes, I do too. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is a great zoo. The Zoo has promised to keep everyone informed about how Kallie is doing. And I have friends who will be visiting there often. I hope all the reports will be good!

[ZooVisitorMM]

@exploringsurviving I know some other good zoos have been able to expand their elephant exhibits and make the exhibits look more natural (to humans). But, it usually seems that the elephants are not behaving much different than they did before the exhibits were renovated. So I still don't think that's the key to providing a good life for elephants. And I can't imagine any elephants seeming more content with their routine and with their home than any of the Philadelphia Zoo's elephants were.

[exploringsurviving]

@ZooVisitorMM I know that the keepers did love them a lot, but keepers are very busy for much of their jobs doing cleaning of the facilities and paperwork. It's not their fault; they just have lots of work to do. But I've seen better facilities...even some zoos that give them more space, more enrichment, and more natural settings.

[ZooVisitorMM]

@exploringsurviving The Philadelphia Zoo keepers provided so many enrichment items, and gave the elephants such wonderful attention that I can't see how they could have done more. I wish I could visit the ICC to see for myself how things are there. From what I have seen in videos, I think the conditions are just okay. A lot could be improved. But I don't think moving Bette and Kallie to a sanctuary is a good idea. They are too accustomed to interacting with humans and to having a schedule.

[ZooVisitorMM]

@exploringsurviving It took Dulary almost a year to form bonds with the other elephants in the Sanctuary. Had she stayed with the keepers she loved so much in the Philadelphia Zoo, she would surely have been just as happy as she is now. Elephant experts, like all experts, are correct in a lot that they say. But all experts sometimes have to change after gathering more facts. And, even when they don't change their recommendations, there are always exceptions. Elephants are not all alike.

[exploringsurviving]

@ZooVisitorMM I agree that adding the African elephants to the Zoo brought problems that previously hadn't existed. But I think Dulary would like another companion of her species...look at how well she's done with Misty and Tarra, for example. Even another zoo, the Central Florida Zoo, admitted that elephants are social animals and that's the reason they moved their elephant (although it was to another zoo, not a sanctuary). Elephant experts say that elephants are social creatures.

[exploringsurviving]

@ZooVisitorMM I agree that space isn't everything. But I think the elephants could have been provided with a lot more toys, enrichment, food, treats, etc. I think they could also do that at the ICC, but they're probably not going to change what they're doing with the space that the elephants have. I just wish that the elephants were sent to PAWS or the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

[ZooVisitorMM]

@exploringsurviving Also, attempting to add more elephants to the once peaceful bond between Petal and Dulary was what caused all the subsequent problems the Zoo had regarding the elephants. There is no reason to think that all elephants must live in herds in order to be mentally and physically healthy. I think the Zoo should have allowed Dulary and Petal to live their entire lives in the Philadelphia Zoo. I believe after Petal died, Dulary would have been fine as long as she had her keepers

[ZooVisitorMM]

@exploringsurviving Space just isn't the most significant factor. Bette and Kallie have lots more space where they are now. But, from what I have heard, the weight problems, the dominance issues, and other issues are still concerns that need to be monitored and addressed. And, as I have said so many times, the exhibit could have been expanded a little, and other low-cost features could have been added to the exhibit which might have helped solve some of the personality issues.

[exploringsurviving]

Again, I keep saying that the animals are loved at the Zoo, but they clearly are. However, there were some issues. Kallie was overweight; she took food and treats from Bette as the dominant elephant. Bette, even though she was a close friend to Kallie, was easily intimidated by Kallie. And there just wasn't enough space to have a more natural-sized, interesting herd of elephants together.