An Elephant in the Snow?Grade 1 Workshop on Animal Needs and Characteristics Elephants in the WildElephants are the largest of all land animals. They are unique not just because of their enormous size, but also because of their trunk, which is a muscular appendage that is used for smelling, trumpeting, feeding, drinking, touching, grasping and digging. Elephants, which live in Africa and Asia, are adapted to warm climates. Their enormous ears are highly vascular, allowing blood to cool as it circulates through them. Their skin, which is furless, is wrinkled, allowing for a greater surface area for cooling with water and mud.
Elephants are made for walking, foraging and exploring large spaces. In the wild, elephants inhabit very large home ranges and walk considerable distances almost every day. Their home ranges can be several hundred square kilometers all the way up to 5,000 square kilometers or more in size. To get an idea of how big a typical elephant range is, try to imagine a space that is 80km (50 miles) long by 32km (20 miles) wide. As well, an elephant's natural habitat is rich with natural woners, surface features and varied sights, sounds and textures. It includes things like mountains, valleys, savannah grasslands, forests, rivers, meadows, lakes and swamps.
 Elephants spend the majority of each day moving about and foraging for food. In fact, most elephants are active up to 18-20 hours every day. This keeps them fit and healthy by toning their muscles, increasing physical fitness and making them think and learn. While exploration and acquiring food are vitally important activities, there are many others, including finding mates, solving problems, communicating and socializing with family and friends and playing, just to name a few.
In the wild, female elephants form "herds" consisting of an older female elephant, her sisters, cousins, daughters, and their offspring. More than most other animals, elephant family ties are extremely important and they last a lifetime. One big advantage of living in a proper social group is that it's more interesting than living alone. If you have family and friends to talk to, learn from, play with, and find food with, it is far more complex and stimulating than doing those things alone. Comfort, security, knowledge, experience, learning, resource sharing and making life more interesting are just a few of the benefits of living in a normal social group.
From the time elephants in the wild wake up until the time they go to sleep, they make decisions. Sometimes, those decisions are small ones, such as who do I play with, should I walk to the right or to the left of that rock, or do I climb over or go under that branch. Other decisions are far more complex, such as deciding where to go to find food, choosing a travel route that avoids unnecessary danger or knowing where the closest water holes are. Certainly, there are many movements and behaviours in elephants (and other animals) that are guided by instinct, but a great many are the direct result of decisions that animals make. By making decisions, elephants are able to make a meaningful contribution to the quality of their own lives.
Elephants in Captivity Lucy is a female Asian elephant captured from the wild in Sri Lanka when she was just a baby. She was shipped to Edmonton's Valley Zoo in 1977. Since Edmonton, Alberta is a northern location, its weather is very different from the tropical climate of Sri Lanka where Lucy originally came from. During cold weather, Lucy is kept inside her cement-floored barn. She is also kept in her barn at night, when the zoo is closed.
Lucy lived alone at the Valley Zoo for 12 years. Then Samantha, a female African elephant, was brought to the zoo to keep Lucy company. But, in 2007, Samantha was sent to another zoo on a long-term breeding loan and Lucy was left alone again. Elephants, especially female elephants, are highly social animals, just like us. Unfortunately, Lucy is alone at the Valley Zoo. She has no elephant family or friends and is currently one of only a few elephants living alone in a North American zoo.
Lucy's life at the Valley Zoo is deficient in many respects. She is socially isolated, she lives in a tiny barren enclosure, she endures a number of ongoing health issues that the zoo has not been able to resolve, and she is forced to live through Edmonton's cold winters. Her situation demonstrates a number of the issues that elephants in captivity face.
Inappropriate ClimateIt is well known that elephants have evolved to live in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Because of this, zoos located in colder regions of the world, like Edmonton's Valley Zoo, keep their elephants indoors at certain times of the year. For some elephants, that can be a great deal of time. According to the Valley Zoo, Lucy is typically kept inside her small barn when the outside temperature is below -10 C, as well as at night when the zoo staff go home. Based on a review of weather data from Environment Canada, Zoocheck Canada estimates that Lucy is kept inside her barn as much as 76% of the time. Keeping Lucy inside a lot of the time must be boring for her and it almost certainly plays a role in her deteriorating health.
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) recommends that new exhibits give elephants access to the outdoors 24 hours a day. The Coalition for Captive Elephant Wellbeing recommends that as well. With Edmonton's winter weather and the Valley Zoo's overnight lock-in policy, those recommendations certainly are not being met.
Lack of SpaceElephants have evolved to walk long distances. Their bodies, their pillar-like legs and their feet are built for movement over a wide variety of terrain. In fact, wild elephants spend up to 20 hours each day moving, foraging, and exploring through their large home ranges. Many elephants walk 10-20 kilometers each day, and some walk even further.
Unfortunately, most elephants in captivity can hardly walk anywhere at all, so they end up standing most of the time. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association says an outdoor yard the size of 9 parking lot spaces is enough room for one elephant, but that is hardly any space at all compared to their typical wild home ranges. In fact, it's 60,000 times smaller than the smallest known home range for wild elephants.
At the Valley Zoo, Lucy's enclosure is approximately 0.5 acres in size, or 0.002 kilometers. This is tens of thousands of times smaller than the home range Lucy would have had in Sri Lanka. Her indoor space is close to 200,000 times smaller.
According to the Coalition for Captive Elephant Wellbeing, elephants in captivity should have enough space to travel at least 10km on a daily basis while engaged in natural behaviours like foraging, feeding, exploring, and socializing.
Elephants in captivity need very large enclosures that give them a variety of different ground surfaces, including clean dirt, mulch, sand, and grassy areas and pastures. Their enclosures should also include slopes, hills, gullies, scrub and forest, so they can get exercise and mental stimulation. Lucy's enclosure is flat, barren and does not provide these things.
Social IsolationFemale elephants should never be kept alone. While mature male elephants in the wild may sometimes live semi-solitary lives, female elephants do not. They remain in the same family group their entire lives and are rarely, if ever, out of contact with their fa
 Zoo associations around the world say that female elephants should not be kept alone. They Coalition for Captive Elephant Wellbeing suggests a minimum of five Asian elephants be kept together in captivity. Scientists and field biologists tell us female elephants are never alone. Even if the Valley Zoo brought in another elephant, it would still be a very poor, unnatural life for both of them.
Health ProblemsSince 1989, Lucy has suffered from foot infections, including pus-filled, bleeding abscesses on her feet. Foot infections are a leading cause of death in captive elephants. Foot problems are often made worse by lack of exercise, overweight bodies, and/or standing on hard earth or concrete floors in cool, damp conditions. Wild elephants typically have healthy feet because they walk long distances on natural surfaces which maintains their foot pads.
Lucy also suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and is being treated daily for pain. Arthritis is a common and serious ailment in elephants confined in zoos. It is a degenerative bone disease that affects the joints. It can be made worse by lack of exercise, by being overweight, and by standing on hard earth or concrete floors in damp conditions. Wild elephants are not known to suffer from arthritis. Lucy has other health problems too, including a chronic respiratory condition and obesity.
Aside from physical health problems that are associated with captivity, Lucy also exhibits abnormal behaviours, called stereotypies. Lucy has two kinds of stereotypies - rocking, and stepping back and forth. Such behaviours are caused by artificial environments that do not allow animals to satisfy their normal behavioural needs.
Activities and Curriculum ConnectionsAn Elephant in the Snow? is designed to support the Grade 1 curriculum, Needs and Characteristics of Living Things and Growth and Changes in Animals. By learning about the distinct characteristics and needs of elephants, students will be able to identify some of the problems elephants encounter in captivity. The workshop places a special emphasis on sustainability and stewardship, and encourages students to protect wild animals and the places where they live.
ResourcesOrganizations and Websites:The Elephant Sanctuary www.elephants.com
The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee was founded in 1995, and is a natural habitat refuge for African and Asian elephants. It is designed specifically for old, sick or needy elephants who have been retired from zoos and circuses. Check out their YouTube videos and their live "Elecam" which gives viewers access to the elephants. A Teacher's Curriculum is also available to download, featuring information and learning activities for children in K-3, and 4-8.
Books:
Elephants: A Book for Children, by Steven Bloom and David H. Wilson (2008)
Steve Bloom's collection of eighty photographs encompasses every aspect of an elephant's life and world: elephants big and small, African and Asian, in the wild and in captivity, at play and at rest. The text is thorough and informative. An excellent resource for young children.
Eye Witnesses: Elephants, by Ian Redmond (2000)
A spectacular and informative guide to the fascinating world of elephants, filled with superb colour photographs. An excellent resource for children and adults alike.
Just for Elephants, by Carol Buckley (2006)
Just for Elephants follows the story of an elderly circus elephant who is being released at the Elephant Sanctuary, a natural habitat refuge for elephants. This photo essay is a great way to learn more about animal sanctuaries, and to learn more about elephants, especially their social relationships.
Tarra & Bella: The Elephant
and Dog Who Became Best Friends, by Carol Buckley (2009)
After being retired from the circus, Tarra became the first resident of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Other elephants that joined the sanctuary developed friendships, but Tarra remained independent until she met a stray mutt named Bella, who became her constant companion. This book is an inspiring story about animal friendship, and an informative resource about the Elephant Sanctuary.
Little Big Ears: The Story of
Ely, by Cynthis Moss and Martyn Colbeck (1997) This photo essay by internationally renowned elephant researcher Cynthis Moss follows a young elephant's struggle to survive his first year of life in East Africa. The story centres around Ely, a calf born with defective front legs. Additonal information about elephant behaviour appears throughout the narrative, emphasizing the role of the female leader of the herd, and the strong social bonds that elephants share. This story is derived from the PBS documentary, Echo of the Elephants.
Wild Animals in Captivity, by Rob Laidlaw (2008)
Rob Laidlaw, founder and director of Zoocheck Canada, has written an informative and eye-opening book that raises important questions about the confinement of wild animals in zoos around the world. He compares the wild and captive lives of polar bears, orcas, elephants, and great apes, and explains why they are so ill-suited for lives in captivity. Alternatives to zoos are provided, as well as a checklist for assessing zoos. Intended for ages 9-12.
On Parade: The Hidden World of Animals in Entertainment, by Rob Laidlaw (2010)
Rob Laidlaw, founder and director of Zoocheck Canada, has travelled the world and documented abuses of animals in a variety of situations. This book examines animals in the entertainment industry, and offers ways to improve their lives. Intended for ages 9-12.
How Can You Help Elephants in Captivity?Join Zoocheck's campaign to get Lucy the elephant moved from Edmonton's Valley Zoo to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Learn more about the Save Lucy campaign at www.savelucy.ca. Please consider writing a letter to:
Mayor & Members of Council
City of Edmonton
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA T5J 2R7
Host a fundraiser to help elephants. Your money can be donated to Zoocheck Canada to help us with our campaign to get Lucy moved, or to The Elephant Sanctuary. Fun ideas include selling paper products like journals, cards, and bookmarks made from elephant dung (www.poopoopaper.com)
Create an awareness campaign about elephants in your school, local library or community centre. Create posters, brochures or bookmarks to help others learn why elephants don't do well in captivity.
If your class is going on a trip to the zoo that has elephants, consider conducting a zoo investigation. Create your own checklist, including things like the size of the cage, the flooring, the furnishings and structures in the enclosure, the behaviour of the elephants, and the climate. Make sure to share the results of your investigation with the zoo, the humane society, wildlife protection groups like Zoocheck, and your local government.
Instead of visiting wild animals in the zoo, consider visiting an animal sanctuary instead. Sanctuaries provide permanent homes to animals that can't be released back into the wild.
How Can You Help Elephants in the Wild?Both Asian and African elephants are threatened by habitat destruction and degradation, and poaching for ivory. Support organizations that work in African and Asia to prevent poaching and to protect their habitat.
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An Elephant in the Snow? |
